


The Beginning of a different path

by Flamme19



Category: The Walking Dead (TV)
Genre: Caring Negan (Walking Dead), Father-Son Relationship, Friendship, Gen, Hurt/Comfort, Protective Negan (Walking Dead), Time Skips, Walkers (Walking Dead), Zombie Apocalypse
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-04-05
Updated: 2020-04-14
Packaged: 2021-03-01 05:01:44
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 13
Words: 28,935
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23499457
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Flamme19/pseuds/Flamme19
Summary: What if Carl didn't stay in the car as Shane told him? Where will this decision lead him?
Relationships: Carl Grimes/Negan
Comments: 2
Kudos: 109





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> English isn´t my native language. I apologize in advance for any errors in the text.

"You should stay home with your mother, don't you?" Shane asked for the hundredth time.

But Carl shook his head and stubbornly stood in the hallway next to the door: "I want to go with you!"

"Take him with you, he'll be fine with you. I'm going to pack things up for now. "

Carl watched quietly from the door as his mother, Lori, pulled the bags out of the closet and began to fold the clothes accumulated on the kitchen counter. He still didn't quite understand why he had to leave. From the morning she and Shane packed things in the car and put together food. Carl kept asking about what was going on, but Shane just told him he had nothing to worry about. So Carl was hanging around the house. Until Shane said he was going to see Dad at the hospital. 

Dad Rick was shot in action, Carl knew. Shane told him, though his mom insisted he was too small to do so. They looked at him a few times, but not as often as Carl would have liked. And now it seemed to be worse. Shane just repeated that they should take his dad to a hospital in Atlanta. So Carl wanted to take the chance to say goodbye until they could reach him. 

"All right, get in the car," Shane waved, and Carl went to the car without hesitation.

The road was confused. Carl saw people on the street packing up their cars and leaving. Some people even fought about things that lay on the street! 

,, What's going on outside? Why do these people run? "

"You have nothing to worry about," Shane laughed.

Carl know it was a little nervous smile. But he knew well that the bargaining was going nowhere. Not that he didn't try again. But since Dad was in the hospital, it seemed that Shane came to their house and became the head of the family. Mom consulted him about everything. Carl hadn't missed the occasional Shane stayed overnight, even though he had said he had left at night. He didn't know what to think of all this. 

So he nodded. He sat quietly in the passenger seat, looking out the windows through the window. A police car drove in and out, the closer they got to the hospital, the more army cars began to appear. 

They reached the hospital in a few minutes. Shane stopped in the parking lot, not far from the entrance, where there was still some free space. Carl stared without a word. People were running around, screaming, soldiers blending between them, trying to calm the situation. 

"Okay, buddy, it will be like this. Wait for me. I'm going to see when they take Rick to Atlanta and where we can find him, okay? "

"I want to go with you!" Carl blurted. 

Shane patted his head with a smile, "No way. Wait here. I'll lock you in the car. If anything, the spare keys are in the glove compartment. I'll be right here. "

Carl had other arguments in his mind about how he could force Shane to take him, but without waiting the older man stepped out of the car, locked and went through the crowd into the building.

Carl waited more than ten minutes. The crowd thickened around him, even seeing a traffic accident, when the lady, in an effort to leave as soon as possible, ran into a lamp in the parking lot. Carl was constantly looking around, beginning to feel increasing concern. He was beginning to worry. The scream was intensifying, several people crashing into the car where he was sitting.

And then he heard it - shooting.

Because his dad was a deputy sheriff, Carl knew how it sounded. He glanced quickly to the right, where the sound came from, to see a few soldiers firing a machine gun at something or someone around the corner of the building. 

Carl could no longer wait. Shaking hands in the passenger compartment, he found the spare car keys, unlocked quickly, and fell out of the car. The sounds suddenly were so louder! He could barely keep his feet when the crowd pushed him against the hood. Eventually he somehow pulled himself out of his grip, locked the car behind him, and ran to the hospital, looking for a way among the adults around. He just ran to the entrance when he heard another shooting, closer this time. He didn't hesitate and ran quickly inside the building.

The hospital was chaos. Carl tried to reach someone who could tell him where his dad was, but neither the nurses nor the doctors ignored him. They all ran out, thumping into each other, treading on those who were lying down. Carl managed to get to the elevators, remembering that with their help they had gotten with Mom and Shan to the floor where his father was supposed to lie. But none of the elevators worked. Carl looked around desperately. Despite all the people, he saw no one familiar, not even Shan. 

The sound of gunfire came again, and he realized in horror that it sounded from inside the building. Carl had no idea what was going on. Why would soldiers shoot in a hospital? He couldn't even think about returning to the car and wait, as Shane said, when the sound of the gunfire came again, even closer. People began to scream even more and squeeze at each other. Carl couldn't keep his feet when a running man crashed into him and ended up on the ground. He could barely cover his head before he felt the pain as if he had been kicked in the back. Carl screamed at the top of his lungs, but no one seemed to hear him. 

Then suddenly someone's hand grabbed him by the arm and pulled him up. Carl couldn't even see before he realized that someone had lifted him off the ground and dragged him to the side.

“What the hell are you doing here! Where's your parents ?! "

Carl looked into the face of the man who was still holding him. He knew he shouldn't talk to strangers, after all, his dad was a cop. But the rules seemed to have gone aside now. 

"I ... I don't know!" Carl got to himself, suddenly aware of how he was trembling. "Shane left, left me in the car ... I should have waited there ..."

"In the parking lot?" The man assured himself.

Carl could only nod before the man clasped him in his arms and literally carried him out, through the crowd pushing in the hospital door. Carl glanced over the man's shoulder and saw a few people who covered in blood, attacking others around

They got out. Carl found himself standing back on the ground, and then again faced the man who had gotten him out.

,, Where's the car? You must get out of here! "

Carl shook his hand to the fence where Shane parked. And he realized with horror that there was no car. 

,, He ... He stood there! Where is it?!"

"Shit ... I guess he got away or someone stole the car. We'll have to run. You can do it?"

"I'm not going anywhere with you!" Carl shouted, pulling away from his tight grip. "I want Shan!"

,, And you see him here somewhere? I'm not waiting to be shot or eaten! Choose!"

Carl looked around with panic. He did not see anyone known. Only strangers running away, soldiers, heard gunfire. He wanted mom ...

,,So?!"

Carl nodded weakly. He didn't know what to do. He didn't know what was going on. But the man seemed a little more clear. Without waiting, he grabbed Carl in his arms again and ran to the nearby car. It took only a moment for the door to close behind Carl, the man stepped up beside him, and with a sound of screeching rubber, they rushed away. 

Carl turned back in his seat, watching the vanishing hospital building. One part of the hospital was on fire. The gunfire was still audible, though her sound slowed. Was Dad there? Or did he take him to Atlanta, as Shane said?

,,What is your name?"

"I ... I'm Carl ..." he replied softly and sat back in his seat.

“Great, Carl. I'm Negan. I need you to listen to me carefully. Do you know where you live? Do you know where that is? "

Carl nodded weakly, wiping his tear-thin face at the shirt sleeve. He told Negan the way he had just nodded and drove down the street toward Carl's neighborhood.

"Can I ask you something?" Carl asked hesitantly after a moment of silence.

"Sure," Negan sighed. "What is it?"

,, What happened there? Shane said it was just an evacuation ... that we were going to Atlanta ... "

"I don't know what was going on there," Negan shook his head. "I was there ... Well I was upstairs when I heard the shooting. They were another, snatching at whoever was nearby. They were all running. They reported something to the radio a few days ago about some fucking infection, but nothing about people becoming cannibals. "

Carl was silent, shocked by what he heard. His mom and Shane didn't tell him that! They said they just had to leave the house for a few days! 

They got to the house with difficulty. There were traffic jams on the streets, overturned garbage cans on the road, and Carl saw a burning car. But as soon as they stopped at the house, Carl waited for nothing and quickly jumped out of the car running toward the door. Then he realized with horror that the driveway was empty.

They couldn't leave without him, could they?

Carl burst into the house, examining one room after another. He screamed, called his mother, Shan, but no one answered him.

"So where are they?"

Carl collapsed into a chair in the kitchen. They were gone. They left without him. How could they leave him here!

"They left ... There was a car outside the house in the morning and now he's gone ..."

"Shit," Negan muttered, looking around. "There's someone else who ..."

"No," Carl interrupted. "We don't have a relative here ... Maybe they just went to the hospital!" "I can wait for them!"

Negan shook his head.

,,Forget it. You can't stay here alone. God knows when to start shooting here. And if those fuckers from the hospital come here, they'll eat you alive. "

"I can't leave! What if they're looking for me!" Carl shouted desperately, helplessly feeling tears on his cheeks. 

,, Damn kid, don't you understand? They left! There are no bags, nothing! "

Carl looked around the room. Negan was right. Everything his mom packed in the morning was gone. Without a word, he ran upstairs, straight to his room. His things were still on the bed. Backpack, shoulder bag. Could he handle it at home, wait? Or was the man right? He knew him for a while, literally a few minutes, but Carl knew that without his help, the crowd in the hospital would trample him. Maybe he could be with him for a while, maybe he could help him find his family ...

Negan walked in and looked at the bags on the floor. "Are you going? We can try to get to Atlanta."

Carl nodded weakly and took things. After all, his dad was supposed to be taken there. Maybe it would be enough to find a hospital there, ask where it is. And then Shane and his mom could find him.

"Okay, let's go... Atlanta sounds good, my dad's supposed to be there ..."

,, Okay, get in the car. I want to come home. I hope someone has not broken in, "Negan grumbled.

Negan's house was a long way. The neighborhood was one of his dad's frequent trips. Carl recognized the place from conversations he'd heard between his dad and his colleagues at the station. The house itself corresponded to the place - ground floor, not much maintained. Negan parked behind the house and nodded to Carl, who followed him without a word. The neighbors, if there were any, seemed to have gone. The street was not as busy as it was around the hospital, only a few voices could be heard shouting something incomprehensible.

,, Okay, I'm going to pack some clothes. Can you throw all the food you find into the box? Especially what lasts without a refrigerator. God knows when it will overcome, "Negan added, pointing to a small kitchen.

Carl nodded and began to walk through the kitchen without a word. He found some cans of fruit, some meat, beans, some pasta. He put it all in the box that lay at the kitchen door. By that amount, it seemed that Negan lived alone. Carl wondered why he was in the hospital. Did he have anyone there? He just hoped they could transfer him to Atlanta, just like his father. 

Negan returned in a few minutes. He had two bags on his shoulders.

"Done?"

"Yeah ... Are we going to Atlanta now?"

To his surprise, however, Negan shook his head and pointed to the television he had seen through the passage in the living room. Carl didn't hear what they were saying, but the video showed a live broadcast from an helicopter, showing car columns out of the city, just toward Atlanta along the highway. 

“Even in good traffic, it is nearly seven hours drive to Atlanta, along the fifty-seventh road. If we go there, we'll stay in the column. It runs miles beyond the city, there's no chance we'll get out there. "

"But I have to, there is Dad!"

"Yeah, that's what you said," Negan waved. "But where exactly? It's a fucking big city."

"They were supposed to take him out of the hospital," Carl explained, trying to remember everything Shane or Mom had told him.

"Shit," Negan muttered, running his hand over his face. 

,,What?! What's happening!"

"You know if he stayed there and didn't make it ..."

Carl shook his head. No. He didn't want to hear that. His dad had to make it. He always did everything.

"He certainly did," Carl said surely.

Negan didn't seem to believe him, but just shrugged. 

“Well, let's see what we can do. I have a map of the area, we'll try to find a side road, there might not be so many people. Along the way we will discuss what to do next. "

Carl nodded. Getting to Atlanta might not be such a problem. He finds dad, mom, Shane and everything will be fine.


	2. Chapter 2

They rode for several hours. They left the city behind, a trunk of car loaded with supplies. Negan was right about constipation. As they drove past the main road before they drove off the side road, Carl saw an endless column of cars. The people were sitting in the cars, the door open, and the horns sounded. 

"Do you know where we are going?"

“Yeah, the road should go roughly the same direction as the main road. If we stick to it, it will lead us to Atlanta. "

Carl's plan seemed easy enough. 

Carla woke up to stop the car. He rubbed his eyes sleepily and looked around. They stood at an abandoned gas station. The light panel, which usually showed prices, was off, and several cars were parked randomly around gasoline stands. It didn't look like anyone was here. Carl noted with a slight unease that there was a bloody smudge on the hood of one of the cars.

,,What's happening?"

“We're running out of gas. I want to look for those cars around if there's anything left in them. Wait here, I'll be right back, "Negan said, turning off the car engine.

Carl nodded and pulled out a candy bar from his backpack. He had no idea how long they had been, but the sun was low. He watched Negan out of the open window as he bypassed the surrounding cars with a hose and canister.

He still didn't know what to think of the man. He was a stranger, and Carl knew well from dad that he should avoid strangers. But he also knew that strangers could help. And for this help Carl was glad. He had no idea what he would do if he were alone in the hospital and no one helped him. With a slight chill he realized that the crowd might have trampled him. 

"Empty." 

Carl looked up.

"Nothing anywhere?"

,,No. I don't know how far we'll go. There's a quarter in the tank. Atlanta is not enough and gas stations are out of service. There's no one here either, they probably escaped. "

"But how do we get there then?"

“Our main problem is where to stay for the night. We are vulnerable. "

,, Vulnerable? What do you mean?"

,, We will not be the only ones who do not have enough food, want to get somewhere and would welcome a place to sleep. I still don't know what those things were in the hospital. And I fucking want to know."

"Okay," Carl nodded hesitantly. "So ... Can we find a hotel?"

"Your childish naivety is sweet," laughed Negan, tossing a can in the trunk of his car and returning behind the wheel. "There are a few houses nearby, we can try to sleep there."

“Isn't this looting? Or burglary? "

"Since when do you understand that?"

"Dad's a cop," Carl said proudly. 

Negan just rolled his eyes and started the car.

It took another half an hour to get to the three-family house standing alone in a large meadow. There were no cars anywhere. Some doors were open as if the inhabitants were leaving in a hurry. Which they probably did.

"It doesn't look bad," Negan said, driving the car slowly to a vacant area away from one of the houses. "Looks like no one is at home ..."

Hesitantly, Carl got out of the car, clutching his backpack tightly. He didn't like the idea. Going to someone else's home wasn't good, he knew it well. But he was tired, frightened, a little hungry, and the vision of sleep sounded more appealing than the rules his mother had taught him at home. So he took his backpack, his other bag from his trunk, and went to the nearest house.

Upon closer examination, it turned out that the house was really abandoned. The cabinets were open, clothes and personal belongings were scattered on the ground. Carl walked through the mess carefully into the living room where Negan was waiting for him.

"That should be enough," Negan nodded, pointing at the two sofas. "We can sleep here and see what happens next morning."

Carl didn't get long enough to urge. He found some blankets, took one, gave the other to Negan and settled down on the smaller couch. While he was lying, he heard Negan walking around the house, and he heard the clicks of the locks. He wanted to ask another question, but as soon as he closed his eyes he fell asleep.

Negan was sitting outside on the stairs watching the sunset. He knew in the morning that he would be worth nothing that day, but even in his dreams he would not have thought it would turn out like this. Only the memory of the hospital and the woman who had thrown herself at the guy standing beside her almost turned his stomach. He'd seen enough crap in his life, but never had anyone else tear his throat away. Disgust. 

He hadn't even thought about the boy.

He had no interest in playing a nanny. But even if he'd done enough shit in his life, letting the boy trample alive wasn't one of them. He thought he would help him out of the building as much as possible, hand it over to his family, and move on. And now they stuck together on their way to Atlanta.

Negan looked over his shoulder at the house. He had a direct view of the living room and the couch where Carl slept.

He doubted his dad was there. He saw well what the hospital looked like that day. They probably left him there and ran away. He didn't blame them. But how could he explain this to a boy who had caught up with the idea of finding his dad and the rest of his family with him? 

And since when was it Negan's concern? He could simply take him to Atlanta, drop him off at the first hospital and walk on his own.

Negan stood up another moment with a sigh and headed inside. A few hours of sleep might come in handy.

Carl was usually a sleeper. At home, his mom or dad always had to pull him out of bed. That day he was not awakened by his family, but by the loud sound of one's swearing. Carl slowly opened his eyes, momentarily confused where he was. Before he remembered everything that had happened the previous day. 

He was still in the living room of the stranger's house. The sight of the next couch revealed that Negan was gone. And according to the muted cursing, it wasn't hard to know where he was. Carl pulled himself out of the blanket under which he lay with the intention of going out to see what was going on. But the steps toward him made the job easier. Negan appeared in the corridor and looked really angry. Carl thought for a moment that he had done something. But then he was misled.

"Some fucking asshole stole a car!"

,,What? Carl asked in shock.

“About the night we slept. After midnight I was still outside, it was there. But I swear I didn't hear anything ... I went out in the morning and the car is gone. "

Carl gripped the blanket nervously. What will they do? Without a car they couldn't get to Atlanta. At least not so fast. But then he remembered all the food they left in the trunk ...

"That food was there, wasn't it?" Carl asked quietly.

Negan just nodded and sat down heavily on the other couch. 

“Yeah, I left it there. I had no idea that the next day after the damn apocalypse everyone would start stealing. "

Carl reached for the backpack he had on the couch and began digging through it.

"I have some food ... When I packed at your home I put everything in my backpack that didn't fit in the box."

Negan just blinked in surprise.

"Wow ... I thought things were just in the car ..."

Hesitantly, Carl shook his head. He didn't want Negan to think he wanted to keep it all to himself. But his idea seemed to pay off now.

"Yeah I ... I took some food, a first aid kit that was in the car and the maps you gave me on the way. Plus things I got from home. "

"Damn brilliant boy," Negan nodded with a laugh. "I only have clothes and a few other things.

Carl pulled out two sticks from his backpack and handed one to Negan: "What about walking? Maybe we can find something along the way?

"I guess we'll have nothing else," Negan said. "Okay, get together, go around the house, look at what's left and go."

Carla's legs hurt. He had been on many trips in his life where he had to go somewhere. But now he had the feeling that if he took another step, he had to fall to the ground. Yet he went on. It was a problem for him all the time to keep up with Negan, just because the man was tall and his footsteps were twofold. But he didn't want to complain. Perhaps he was subconsciously afraid that if he was too much of a nuisance, Negan would pack up and just leave. And Carl didn't want to be alone, he was still a little frightened.

It had to be after noon, the sun was high above the trees. They were walking along a dirt road, Carl was looking around the countryside, but his hand on his shoulder stopped him. He wanted to ask what was going on, but Negan just pointed silently to the other side.

There was a small camp among the trees. A few tents, most of them broken, torn to pieces. Some had blood splashes. Carl automatically backed up a few steps. But before he could say anything, a man came out of the bushes near them. 

"Damn," Negan whispered, pulling Carl away.

,,What is?"

Negan just shook his head and put his finger on his lips. Carl turned back to the camp. With a shuffling step, the man slowly walked to one of the tents. As he turned toward them, Carl had to cover his mouth so he wouldn't cry out.

The man didn't have half his head. Where the face is normally, there was now only blood and torn flesh. The jaw hung from his face as if someone were trying to tear it off. 

"Shit ... What the fuck is that?"

Carl couldn't even move. The man was walking, moving, but he couldn't be alive. 

"Negan ... What do we do," Carl whispered in alarm. 

"We'll disappear ... If that's what was in the hospital, I don't want to be anywhere near it. Let's go. "

Carl didn't think he'd heard a better plan in his life. But then several things happened at once. 

The silence that surrounded them was interrupted by the rupture of the branch Carl had accidentally stepped on. The sound was like a gunshot. The man turned sharply, glancing in their direction, and without hesitation took a quick, grimace step toward them. Carl had no idea what to do, he stood there, literally frozen with fear. The man was getting closer, Carl could hear the growl coming out of the hole where his mouth had been.

Then Negan pushed him aside, and Carl fell to the ground with a cry. He could turn around in time to see Negan slap the man in the head with the help of a bat. He fell to the ground, but immediately tried to raise himself to his feet again. Carl turned away, closing his eyes tightly. And he just heard dull punches, full of strange disgusting squeals, grunts. And finally silence.

"Shit ... Shit ..."

Carl turned back and regretted it immediately. The man lay close to him, his head squashed literally on the porridge. Carl could only turn on all fours when he felt his bile rise and start vomit. He couldn't stop it, even when he felt his stomach empty and his throat sore. 

"Come on, throw it out ..."

Carl finally fell to the ground, trying to catch his breath. 

"What ... what was it ..."

“This was the same bastard like the girl in the hospital. Shit, I thought it would eat us ... Why didn't he see us before! "

Carl was silent for a moment. But as soon as he managed to sit down, he remembered. 

"I stepped on something ... branch ... Heard it ..."

"Do you think they respond to sound?"

Carl shrugged weakly, wiping his sleeve on his shirt sleeve. 

"I don't know ... Until that moment, he just stood there ..."

"Well ... good advice for the future," Negan nodded, sitting down on the floor beside Carl. "Are you okay?"

Carl didn't know what to answer. Physically, yes. The rest was the second thing.

,,I do not know..."

Negan moved closer and took Carl by the shoulders, obscuring the view of the body beside them.

,, Really kid, are you okay? It's disgusting, I know, but ... Damn, you don't even cry! "

It was true. He was crying before. At the hospital, he found out that Mom and Shane had left without him. At home, he found himself alone. But not now, when he saw someone beat another man with a bat.

"I don't know ... Is he dead?"

“I think he was before. It is not possible for someone to walk and have half their heads off. "

"The dead don't moving."

"And what did you see now?"

Carl swallowed, "The dead who walked ..."

“On the radio they said there was a disease spreading. But this ... We better go, I don't want to know if there are others. "

Carl looked down at the bat beside Negan. He didn't remember seeing her before.

"Where did you get her?"

,,This? I had it at home. I think you noticed that the neighborhood I live in is not as classy as yours. I had it in my bag, just in case. Thank God for her, "Negan grinned and stood up." Come on, let's see if there is anything left in the camp, we can take a break and then we'll move on. "

Carl nodded and rose to his feet with Negan's help. Though he didn't want to go around, he looked down at the body lying on the ground. The man barely had a head, everything was in a mess of bones, blood, and something that must have been a brain. 

It was disgusting. Carl had never seen anything so outrageous in his entire life. But he couldn't deny that he was glad Negan had done it. He saved him, again.


	3. Chapter 3

At the beginning, Carl hoped it would be easy. They find a car, drive to Atlanta, find a hospital, and Carl finds his dad. But the situation was much worse than Carl had expected.

They were on their way for a couple of weeks. It could have been a month, probably more. Carl had lost track of what the day was. The last thing it could tell them was the wrist watch that Negan had, but over time it simply became irrelevant whether it was two or four in the afternoon. It was just morning, walking, searching, walking, pausing, eating, walking, hiding and sleeping.

And dead. Carl called them walkers, depending on how they walked around. Negan called them dead fuckers. During the time they spent together, Carl noticed that Negan was very vulgar if he had his day. But he had saved Carl so many times that the boy had stopped counting. In the end, the baseball bat proved to be very effective.

Sometimes they found an abandoned car, a smaller camp with a few people. But Carl had always felt quite clear that they were not welcome there. People usually had a little supply of sleeping space, and Carl quickly realized that they were probably afraid of sharing.

The last camp they found was different. There were more people, about twenty. Women, men, older, younger, had a child, though much younger than Carl. They were encamped under the overhang of one of the rocks, a couple of tents, and a large shed built of branches and old blankets.

When Carl and Negan arrived there, they were not immediately refused, on the contrary, one of the women offered them a place by the fire and a modest portion of beans. Carl had learned in that time that he couldn't be picky, even though his cans were already full of cans. He gratefully took what was offered to him and listened quietly to the conversation around. 

It seemed to impress everyone around when they discovered that Negan was not his father, but a stranger who had saved him from walkers and certain death. Carl was a little amused as he was immediately involved in the care of almost all the women in the camp who immediately tried to wash him and reward him for his efforts to save an abandoned child.

The original plan was to stay overnight, take advantage of the security of the group, wait until morning and leave. But the next day some men turned to Negan to help them hunt the rabbits. The next day the women offered to wash Carl's dirty clothes near the river. And before Carl knew it, they were in the camp for almost another month.

It wasn't bad, on the contrary. Carl made friends with the people around him. They were nice, he understood from the narration that they all knew each other from one of the cities they had abandoned in bulk. The men took care of protecting the camp by taking over the remaining duties. For some, it could be a good destination. But Carl had not forgotten his original goal of arriving in Atlanta. 

And he had the plan until one afternoon when a strange man arrived at their group. He appeared from the center of the camp, talking with a group of men.

He was a bit odd at the sight. His hair was combed back, receding somewhere in the middle of his head, a big bushy mustache on his face. Carl was afraid of him at the first meeting. Simon, as the man called himself, was, according to the reaction of others only another member of the group. In the evening, when everyone sat down by the fire, Simon became important to Carl.

"So what did you find out?" One of the men asked.

Simon grabbed the bowl of food and hunger hungrily.

“On the way I met other people, they had the same goal, so I joined them. We came as close as possible. We wanted all the way to Atlanta, but in the end I was glad we didn't. "

Carl sharpened.

"Atlanta?" He blurted, turning to Simon. "Did you go there?"

,,I did my best. Along the way we met another group of people. There could be about ten of them, they had a caravan, and they were armed. They were driving from Atlanta. The city fallen long ago, there is neither an army nor a camp. Only the dead, full of streets. One of them almost died there as he went there to seek help. They left as fast as they could. The rest of the group decided to give up and go their own way away from the city. "

Carl dropped the bowl to the floor quietly and started to walk away without a word. Atlanta wasn't safe? But Shane said it would be okay there. That Dad would be safe there. But if Atlanta wasn't safe, Shane wouldn't take her mom there. Then he couldn't find them. And where did they take Dad?

Without realizing it, he walked to the tent he had shared with Negan. And then he heard footsteps behind him.

"Carl ... I'm sorry ..."

Carl just shook his head, unable to stop the tears in his eyes. 

"I thought they would be there ... That I would find them ..."

"I know it was a plan," Negan nodded, pulling Carl into firm hug. "I'm sorry ..."

Carl couldn't stand it anymore and started crying. Everything that had happened in the last few weeks, what he had experienced, was like a dam that couldn't hold back any more. He wept until he could almost inhale, grateful for the firm embrace in which he could hide for a moment from the world around him. 

"What will happen to me?" He finally got out of himself when he managed to speak, his throat raw from crying.

“What would happen to you? You have to fight, nothing else can be done here. "

"But ... You said that when we got to Atlanta you would go on ..."

Negan chuckled and ruffled Carl's hair,

“This plan seems to be canceling. So what else to try - you and me against the world, what do you say? "

Carl smiled a little and nodded. Yeah, that sounded good, very good. 

"We should find something better."

Again it was a traditional sitting by the fire. Meanwhile men were discussing possible small game traps, while women were taking care of little Andrea. However, all of his activity fell silent at Negan's words. 

"What do you mean?" One of the women said. 

“A better place. It's enough now, but we're all going to freeze for the winter. Moreover, we are not protected here. With Simon and the rest of the day we met enough bastards walking through the forest. If one gets here at night, it will be over. "

"What do you suggest?" Simon said, putting aside the rifle he usually carried. 

“There must be something to occupy, some security, somewhere. I do not know, I do not know around here, just what is around the camp, but these bastards had to die somewhere and then come here. Surely it couldn't be too far. "

Carl sat beside him, silent. He knew Negan wasn't telling the whole truth. For how many nights they looked together at all the maps they had put together to get a pretty good overview of where they were and what was nearby. For Carl it was an evening routine. At school he always liked geography, so finding a new place was quite fun for him. As a result, he knew that some twelve miles from their camp there was a holiday cottage by the lake. Negan was quite interested in how many times in their conversations he emphasized the benefits of creating a kind of settlement. But Carl did nothing, as they had agreed. He wondered what reaction the idea was going to meet.

"That seems dangerous to me," another woman said, returning to cooking the caught game. "We're safe here."

Several people nodded around and the topic was over. But Carl did not miss the search that Simon Negan had been watching for the rest of the evening. Maybe it was more successful than it looked. 

The theme of going somewhere better, like Negan said, was living its own life for the next few days. He heard the women at the river talking about it, the men who were going to control the traps. No one spoke publicly about it, but they all discussed it. So he wasn't surprised that one evening, while he was in the tent and going to sleep, Simon had chosen to talk to Negan that moment.

"Did you mean it?"

,,What do you think?"

"It's about finding another place."

Negan had to nod as Simon went on.

“I think it's clear that most people don't like it. They thinks it's a risk. "

“I think you're a little smarter than the rest of those people. Say, Simon, what do you think? "

“It's a risk. But the risk of having advantages. I happen to know from one of my travels that about fifteen miles away is a cottage. It is plundered, but there are things like beds, blankets and facilities for people. "

Carl couldn't help but smile inside the tent. He could already understand how Negan's plan was supposed to work.

,, Cottage right? That might work out ... What does it look like around? "

,, Lake, forest. The lake would make it easier to keep an eye on the surroundings by half. "

"I guess the rest doesn't share your enthusiasm," Negan said.

,, I know about the couple who shares. I know these people a little bit, but I don't want to be a target for them. I know damn well that the walkers are going around here and it's just a miracle they didn't come here at night, or while most of the guys were gone. The question is, are you just talking or are you planning something? "

Negan was silent for a moment. Carl recognized the silence - the pursuit of drama. Usually it wasn't difficult for Negan to answer or have an opinion. 

,, I want to go somewhere where the boy is safe. I don't want to be afraid to leave him here in the camp and find him torn to pieces. At the same time, if it's the cottage where the accommodation was, sleeping in bed again wouldn't be a bad idea. I'm a little old for camping. "

This seems to Simon sincerely amused.

"You're right, the bed would be good ... Well, I'll let everyone know who's interested. When do you want to go? "

"I can at any time," Negan laughed. "The sooner I get out of that tent ... You said fifteen miles?"

“Yeah, it's a pretty hike. You can do it in a day, but it will be a hard for a boy. "

"Don't worry about Carl," Negan said confidently. "The boy can do more than he looks. He just needs to train a little."

"When you say ... Tomorrow at dawn?"

"Applies."

There was a moment of silence, only the sound of moving steps. Then the zipper on the tent opened and Negan crawled in. 

"Damn it, Carl, I thought you are sleeping ..."

"So you're afraid I will be eaten by walkers?" Carl asked rhetorically.

"Do you not know that listening conversations is not OK?"

"Not to lie either."

Negan just shrugged, removed his leather jacket and wrapped it under the blanket instead of the pillow.

“It's not lying, just trying to show them something better. If that helps, a small lie can be handled. Admit, nobody can survive the winter, damn it, maybe autumn. It is warm now, then it will be worse. Half of those outside think they may have gone camping. None of them have ambitions for something better, more durable. "

“Why didn't we just go to the cottage? Why wait for the others? "

“Simon can be an important guy for us. He's smart, clever, he knows the neighborhood and has a gun. Moreover, more importantly, he can handle it. If there were only three more, we are five. At five we are already a group that can not only occupy the chat, but also keep it. "

"You were thinking about it," Carl noticed.

,,I did my best. Go to sleep, tomorrow we're leaving. We pack everything that allows us, everything will come in handy. "

Carl nodded. The view of the place where the bed could be and some of the facilities looked really good. 

The journey was hard. That day was particularly warm, and Carl just hoped they would be there soon. Eventually, three other people left with Simon, a young couple, Thomas and Karen, and another man, Simon's friend Mark. The whole group finally reached the cottage just in the evening. 

The men went on a tour, Carl and Karen waited outside. It took almost a good half hour to get a sign that it was safe inside, and Carl could take a look around. 

The cottage looked like something he went to camp with mum and dad. On the ground floor small reception, dining room, some technical rooms. Upstairs are several rooms. Everything important was already selected by someone, nowhere was there any sign of anything that could be of value at this time. But it was still four walls and a roof overhead.

"It looks good," Carl said with a smile as he walked around the room. "How long will we stay here?"

"Do you want to go somewhere else?"

Carl stopped on the spot. True, he had nowhere to go. He even forgot it for a while.

"It's like a new home," Carl finally said, continuing his stroll, trying to get rid of the lost family's thoughts.

He hated to think about them lately. Whenever he did, he felt only anger. The anger at Mom, at Shane, that they left him, left him to this world. He had no idea if they were alive, if they had found a safe place like him and Negan. And his dad. It was clear to Carl that at a time when nobody had almost anything, a hospital could hardly take care of people. Carl was afraid his dad was probably no longer alive. Only the thought destroyed him from within. 

,, Choose a room whatever you want. You can have it for yourself, at least you get rid of me, "Negan winked.

Carl eventually chose a room opposite Negan. The first night without the other man was strangely frightening. As an only child, he used to sleep alone, but in the last few months when being close to safety meant Carl feeling that being alone was a simple disadvantage. Finally, after a few hours of unnecessary sleep, he crept into Negan's room, where he lay in a chair by the window and slept there. He planned to leave early in the morning, but when he woke up he was alone in the room, covered with Negan's blanket. 

Negan was suprised that Carl was adapting much faster than he had expected. On the way to the cottage, he did not complain much, he could do the work that someone adult had done before. He was smart, bright, and he could stand up for his opinion. At the time they were, these were very valuable properties. Negan had seen men in the previous camp who were brave but wouldn't count for five. Except maybe Simon, who proved to be a good ally with the same vision Negan had. The question was just how it could go on. So far there have been five of them, including a boy. But as he watched everyone settle in, Negan had a plan for something a little bigger, better. But he needed more people. 

The cottage has proved its worth. Simon and his friend managed to build a guard system of cans and cords to warn of walkers or strangers. Behind the cottage, Karen managed to make a small field where she planted the vegetable seeds she kept with her, and Carl was happy to help her. It was a fun activity, and any information he could learn could be of use. 

He spent his free time with Negan. He said he was old enough to defend himself. After a long speech and Carl also got his first knife. Negan was of the opinion that at the time they lived, it was never too early to handle something like that. Carl was grateful for that. Not that close combat and knives were his hobby before, but he also understood that it was now something that was valued. Thanks to the training he became more acquainted with Simon, who turned out to be a great lover of weapons before. He knew almost everything about them. 

More months have passed. By the end of summer, there were many more people in the cottage than at the beginning. Not far from the cottage was parked even a few small caravans with people who did not fit into the cottage. The information that there was a place to go had spread faster than Carl had expected. Some drove by and asked if they could stay, some met people who had already lived in the cottage, some just heard about the place and came to see. Carla was particularly amused by a man who, when he learned he could stay, declared Simon his savior.

"I hope the guy is useful," Negan muttered, watching the scene along with Carl from the window of Negan's room.

“He's just glad he won't die of hunger or pedestrian food. After all, we are a little savior, for the people here, "Carl said with a smile.

"Um ... Saviors ... Do you know that would be a pretty good name?"

"What?"

,,Groups! We can't be a village by the lake, it sounds bad. But the Saviors ... "

Carl was amused by the enthusiasm. But it was true that it sounded good. A little rough and cool. 

"But if we are a group, we must have a leader."

"Of course it will be me," Negan nodded a little cocky.

“You must earn leadership, not just take it. Otherwise people won't follow you, "Carl said wisely.

"What the hell do you know?"

"I read comics."

"And what did these valuable books give you for information?" Negan asked ironically.

“If you want to lead people, they must love you. Or be afraid of you you, but it usually won't last long, "Carl pointed out." If they like you and you are popular, they will stand behind you. It's literally in every movie I ever saw. "

“Do you know that maybe you will still have something to do? And Simon wanted to use you as a bait for hunting ... "

Carl just laughed at Negan's shoulder.


	4. Chapter 4

"Are you aiming?"

"I said yes."

“Last time you hit the shit. You have last three bullets. So - are you aiming? "

Carl sighed in exasperation but nodded.

,,Yeah..."

,,Shot."

Carl pulled the trigger and watched with relief as the nearest can fell to the ground in the fallen leaves.

"Finally!" Negan cried, patting his back. 

Carl lowered his weapon and secured it. Maybe he wouldn't be as bad as it seemed in the end.

Firearms have recently been an integral part of Carl's life. He didn't feel ready for it. But after the incident, when two walkers surprised him behind the hut and nearly bitten him, as soon as Negan finished shouting about his irresponsibility, Carl's weapon training was no longer stubbornly refused. He wanted to be able to defend himself, and he knew that the knife he still wore was not always enough. And so he got a weapon from Simon - Beretta, which they found in one of the looted houses, hidden in the bedroom of former residents. Simon said it was versatile enough to always find some bullets. So Carl got a weapon, a holster he attached to his right leg, a long security lecture to avoid shooting any of his people, and began training on an improvised shooting range. 

There it turned out at the beginning that he was a much more miserable shooter than he was in video games. The first shot, better the recoil of the weapon, sent him down. He couldn't even train indefinitely because they didn't have enough ammo to waste. And so this was officially the third attempt. It wasn't very good, Carl knew, but just the fact that he finally hit the damn can improved his mood for the rest of the day.

"I wasn't even hoping," Negan said teasingly. 

Carl just rolled his eyes. Negan's style of encouragement has been a great mystery to him. But he learned not to take it personally. 

"It's not good enough."

“No, but a walker is not a can. Even if you don't shoot head, at least you might slow it down and run. You'll only learn this by practice, I got out of the practice too. "

Carl thought to ask where Negan learned to shoot. Then he heard people shouting from the hut and the sound of cars. They both turned toward the hut to see a few strange men in the car shooting at the people around. 

"What the ... Go hide!"

Carl wanted to shout at Negan, but Negan ran toward the hut and left Carl standing. He had no idea what to do. He knew he should hide somewhere, wait until it passed. Maybe somewhere behind the caravan, away from the shooting. So he ran to Negan.

It was like a police shootout, one Carl had seen on television. Strangers were hidden behind the car, Carl's people behind the trees and the hut door and trees. There were screams, shots, weeping. Carl saw Karen lying on the ground, her hands in blood, still.

Carl hid behind a nearby tree. He was close to the aliens, probably not noticed in the heat of the shootout. One of the men looked out from behind the car, ready to fire, but before he could do it, the bullet hit him in the chest and he fell to the ground. Soon another joined him. The rest returned fire all the more fiercely, apparently willing to avenge their friends for the death. 

Carl peeked out from behind a tree, crouched down by the ground, his hand resting on his gun. He could help, he was close enough ...

One of the men rose again, ready to start another wave of fire, and Carl was no longer waiting. He pulled out his gun, unlocked it, aimed it, and fired. He had to hit - the man fell to the ground with a cry. The other man turned sharply, searching for where the shot had come from. But before he could react, he himself fell to the ground after another shots from the cottage.

Carl slowly sat down on the ground and secured the weapon.

He fired at someone. Not on walkers who were already dead. But after a man, a living, breathing man.

A hand fell on his shoulder, and Carl jerked. When he realized he was Simon, he breathed a sigh of relief.

,, Damn kid ... What did you think !? They could have shot you! "

It was all back to Carl - Simon was right. If he didn't hit, they could see him and shoot him. And then it would be over ...

"I ... I don't know ... I wanted to do something ..."

,, You're fucking lucky. If anything happened to you ... Negan wouldn't bear it, "he added with and helped Carl to his feet. 

They only took a few steps. Then they met Negan, the anger written in his face.

,, Carl! You could have been killed! What the fuck did you think! You know you can't aim! "

"But you must admit it was a good shot," Simon said.

"I'm fine," Carl said shakily, hiding his weapon when he realized he was still holding it tightly in his hand. "I wanted help ..."

Negan ran a hand through his hair, agitated. 

“I don't know whether to scold you or to admit it was a good shot. God ... Come on both help, we have injured people here. And we have to find out who it was. "

At night, long after the attack, Carl was sitting in his room listening to Negan's conversation with Simon through the ajar door. The group that attacked them seemed to belong to a larger group and were just trying to broaden their horizons. Both had been arguing for a long time about what would be better.

Carl knew he should go to sleep. But he couldn't. Whenever he closed his eyes, he saw the man he shot. 

Is that how it was to kill someone? He knew his dad had killed someone on duty once. It was in the news, in the papers. A criminal, a murderer. Everything went wrong on arrest and Dad had no choice but to shoot. To this day, Carl remembered how bad his dad was. He expected it to be the same. That he would feel guilty, sadness. 

But Carl felt nothing.

He was sitting on his bed looking out the window. His gun lay on the table, on hand. He should probably feel sad about someone's life. But the more he thought about it, the more he felt satisfied. Calm when he knew the man was dead, that he couldn't come again and hurt one of his people. Karen was still unconscious, though Negan claimed she could do it. Others were also injured. Just because of a bunch of men who decided they'd be an easy target. 

There was a light knock on the door. Negan did not wait for the invitation, he stepped in and closed the door carefully behind him.

"So, what's up?"

Carl shrugged. He didn't know what to say. How to describe what he felt.

“Come on, talk to me. It was a big day today ... "

"Do you think killing someone is a big day?" Carl asked dryly.

Negan frowned.

,, Big day is to fight and survive. Yes, you killed him. But you saved your people. God knows how many others that son of a bitch could still hurt. You must never be afraid to fight, never. "

Carl looked at Negan closely. He knew well that Negan had already killed someone, and they were not just walkers. The first was the man who came to the camp under the pretext of seeking refuge. Then it turned out that he was just a thief trying to take everything he found at night. He wanted to take the weapons they carried. But he didn't check if the one he carried to help him get out of the camp was loaded. Carl was there, watching when Negan smashed his head with a rage at the man's insolence. At first he hated it. He was so unnecessarily violent. Basically just a murder. But when the rest of the Saviors returned from their hiding places. When Carl saw their relief of being protected, he understood. Negan's action had a reason. Somewhere in the corner of his soul, he was relieved that even his actions today had a reason.

"What did you do with Simon?"

“It stopped being safe here. Simon says he recognized one of them. There's a group of raiders, led by a guy called the Governor. Looks like they were his people. It could be a coincidence, or they heard about us. I don't want to wait for more to come. "

"They'll notice that their men didn't come back ..."

,,Exactly."

"But what are we going to do?" Carl blurted. "There were a few, but they were armed. If there were more ..."

"Now is your time," Negan smiled. "How well can you still search the maps?"

Carl was sitting in a room that was made to a living room in the cottage, his head resting on the armrest. For several hours he had been looking at all the maps they had found and put together, searching for a new place where the Saviors could move. 

He found the old prison first. But that was dismissed by Simon, saying that it was too close to the territory the Governor and his little army had occupied. No one wants to risk it, so they continued their search. Carl felt he could remember those maps by now. Sometimes he wondered why Negan had him do such an important job. He was a child after all. And finding a new place where almost fifty people were to move suddenly seemed a very responsible task. But it wasn't that he wanted to ask out loud. He always claimed that he did not want them to be treated as a child. When Negan entrusted him with this task, no one said anything, no one objected. And Carl didn't want to disappoint them.

The silence of the room was interrupted by Simon, in tow with Negan. They both sat on the couch opposite Carl and Simon nodded to the maps, "Any success?"

Carl started tapping his pencil a little nervously on his leg, while pointing with the other hand to the location marked on the map. He hoped his second type would be more successful.

"Maybe ... It's a seventy miles from here. According to the maps and descriptions, it looks like an old factory. It will be fenced, mostly such places do not have many driveways. "

Simon whistled admiringly and looked at Negan. Where did you find this boy? "

Negan smiled proudly.

"I said it was in him," he said with a bloated smile and nodded to Carl. "So the factory. Sounds good. Literally fucking good. But a seventy miles ..."

Carl nodded hesitantly, "I know ... There's nothing worth moving around in the neighborhood. I don't know how fast you want to leave. "

“It will take a while. We are growing food, there are injured ... We can load them in cars, but gasoline is not enough for all cars. We'll have to leave some cars here. "

"Caravans don't have to go all of them," Negan waved. A seventy miles can be traveled in a few hours. Just a place for everyone, a few places for the injured. We need that truck."

"Truck?" Simon asked uncertainly. "You know the truck's not going. We got him here and he did not start at the next attempt."

"Then you'll have to fix it," Negan said in a stark voice. "We need him."

Simon seemed to want to oppose for a moment, but in the end he just nodded and stood up, "I'll go get it," he said as he left and disappeared into the doorway.

Carl just raised an eyebrow at the scene. He knew Negan liked to say he was in charge. But seeing it with own eyes was something else. It had been a while since he had noticed such moments. People went to him to consult, to allow themselves, to ask what was to be done that day. Negan's dream of being the leader of the Saviors seemed to be starting to come true. 

"Your plan seems to be going well," Simon said quietly, looking around.

It was a night. Everyone was asleep, only the sound of the forest and the footsteps of the men holding the watch. Simon and Negan sat outside, initially discussing the forthcoming relocation of the Saviors. But then the topic slipped away.

“I said he was exceptional. Someone like him can be the future. "

“He is still too young. He will not understand everything he sees and the reasons why this is happening. "

Negan shrugged, unwittingly playing with his bat. Recently he began to wear her with him, only from a practical point of view of safety. In addition, she was a small reminder of the life he had before, as was the red scarf he wore around his neck.

,,He has a time. He can learn enough. And when he is old enough, he will be ready. "

Simon nodded in agreement. Negan was grateful that the man had seen the whole thing the same way. Neither was the youngest, if his plan was to be successful, he needed his heir. The Saviors needed a leader.

They set out on their journey in a week. The truck that Negan wanted was repaired. Most who did not care about the safety of the caravan helped to load everything that could be useful in the new place. Karen, whose condition had improved a bit, advised how to reposition plants in containers on the way so that they didn't have to start from scratch, Carl tried to get help with food.

It was a little sad. Carl got used to the place. He already knew where to go when he wanted to be alone, where there were traps, where fish could be caught. He got used to his room. Now they were going to throw it all away and go somewhere where Carl had just hoped to be better. He was a little afraid of the change, not that he would admit it out loud. Most of the people after Negan's morning motivational talk looked forward to a safer place to live, and Carl didn't want to be the one to spoil the enthusiasm. So he packed up everything he had, finally got into the first car with Negan and they set the caravan in motion.

It took barely an hour for the caravan to stop. Two cars injected rubber, the wheels needed to be replaced. They were surprised by a herd of walkers that emerged from a nearby forest. Carl was just sitting in his car and praying they would get there. He could feel the tension in the cabin of the car, seeing Negan that he wasn't in the best mood. 

So while Simon went out to see that they were on their way soon, Carl used it for a little conversation, just between them.

,,Is there something wrong?"

"Don't worry, everything's fine," Negan waved.

Carl frowned, "That's what Shane told me before he left me in the car."

Negan just sighed. 

"You're stubborn."

"You always say you like it," Carl replied immediately. 

,, Okay, okay ... I'm a little worried. I don't know what we'll find there. I hope a place where we can stay. But if not ... Those people think I'm going to find a new home. "

"You always said you wanted to be their leader," Carl said.

,, Yeah, I want to ... It's just a little more responsibility now. There were five of us in the beginning, now fifty. "

"It's going to be good," Carl said convincingly, half for Negan, half for himself. 

It had to turn out well, there was nothing else left.


	5. Chapter 5

They finally reached the place where their new home was supposed to be without any major problems. The surroundings looked calm, as Carl saw the abandoned train station on the way to the factory. Another place where there might be something useful. Negan in the first car ordered the others to wait at the beginning of the driveway to the factory, while the first car and the other men went closer to inspect.   


The factory was huge. Tall chimneys. Concrete, large glazed windows consisting of small tables, an adjacent area forming a kind of open space, formerly probably for trucks. All surrounded by a high fence. And the gate was open.  
"Do you think anyone is there?" Carl asked hesitantly as he looked around. "I don't see anything ..."  
“It would be weird if he wasn't. It's in very good condition here ... Stay in the car, with Simon and the guys we'll go through it. "  
"I want to go with you!" Carl said.  
Negan, however, stopped his objections with one glance.  
,,No way. Go back to the others, tell them to wait. If something goes wrong, get out of here. If not, we'll come for you and go inside with the rest of the cars. "  
Carl didn't like the plan a bit. But he knew when it was not good to discuss with Negan. So he nodded slightly, got out of the car, and went back to the rest of the Savior.  


As soon as he transmitted the message, some Saviors seized the provisional patrols. The rest of the people waited in the cars or formed small groups. Carl walked around for a while before he reached one of the caravans where Karen lay.  
He loved the woman from the beginning. She was about the age of his mother, a former florist. Perhaps that's why she always grew up some good vegetables, Carl thought several times. It was a cheerful and smiling nature. But when Carl saw her now, she looked terrible. Her forehead was dripping with sweat. The gunshot wound on her side was hidden under a new bandage, but her condition did not seem to improve as Negan had said.  
"Hey, Karen ..."  
"Hello, Carl ... Where's your partner?"  
"He went with the others to inspect the factory, they didn't want me there," Carl replied, sitting down on the floor at the couch Karen was lying on.  
"I'm not surprised," Karen said lightly. "It's not safe ... Do you think we're over with riding around? I'm sick of that trip ..."  
Carl reached into the locker where he found a bottle of water and helped Karen to drink a little.  
“If it's safe there, we'll be there. "  
"I'm glad," Karen smiled. „Just a little sleep ... Will you wait here with me? "  
Carl just nodded and sat down on the bench opposite the camper's couch. After all, there was nothing else to do but wait.   


It took an infinitely long time. The sun slowly dropped below, people settled on the ground, the conversation mostly fell silent. Carl wouldn't admit it aloud, but he was worried about Negan. He knew the man could do a damn good fight with almost everything he had in hand. But if anything happened to him, he would be alone again. He was sick of the idea.  
Thinking was interrupted the sound of an approaching car. Carl quickly jumped out of the caravan to see Negan just getting out of the car with Simon and the other men. They both looked terrible - tired, dirty from the blood. Simon carried a sharp tube, a Negan bat, all covered with more blood. It was disgusting, but Carl didn't want to see anything more than this.  
"What happened there?" He asked immediately.  
"There were those fuckers, maybe a hundred," Negan began to tell.  
"Well, boss," Simon said with a grin, "there were about thirty ..."  
"Who has the time to count," Negan waved a dismissive hand and turned to the people around him. "Anyway, the factory is ours!"  
People were cheering, Carl heard applause. Everyone looked at Negan as if he had just saved their lives. Which he might have done, Carl thought inadvertently. Nobody waited for anything. They packed up things, got into the cars and set off for the rest of the way to the factory.   


The place was a mess. After he managed to carry the bodies of all pedestrians and close the main gate, Carl walked across the grounds. It was really big. The courtyards, the inner halls where there had been production before, the office spaces. They had been plundered, but still the rooms where one could sleep with a little effort.   
He ended the journey in one of the largest halls, namely the metal gallery, which led the hall around the walls. Everywhere was just a mess, the remains of things from the factory's previous operation. There was even something at one of the walls that looked like a long-disused furnace. Good maybe for the winter. There was nothing at first sight to suggest that this place should be better than an old cottage. But Carl felt the place might have potential. Maybe they could build something that could stand.  
"So what do you think?"  
From the corner of his eye, Carl looked at Negan as he headed toward him from the corridor at the far end of the gallery.  
"It's nice here ... Not as much as the cottage, but ... Probably safer ..."  
"You found the place," Negan said, pointing to the double doors leading out onto the outside gallery.  
They both went out. Carl glanced up at the courtyard, where most of the Saviors began to unpack things and clean the factory. A few people carried out the bodies of walkers, and men began to make temporary patrol posts from old pallets.  
,,Do you see them? You've found a new home for all these people. And they know it, "Negan said quietly, taking Carl's shoulders.  
Carl swallowed. Was his decision so big? Or did Negan just exaggerate the situation?  
"I wasn't alone," he said after a moment of silence.   
“No, but you still managed to take your people somewhere safe. You could even defend them. You are smart guy, don´t anybody let you tell different.“  
,,What will be next?"  
,,Here we can start a really new life. And we can make it the way we want ... "  
Carl nodded quietly, watching the noise below his feet. The possibility of finally digging out of the mere effort to survive and start something new, better, sounded like one of the best things he had heard from the beginning of this apocalypse.  


  
Sometimes Carl was looking for a place to be alone. Given the size of their new home, this was no longer a problem. He found a favorite spot on the roof of an office building where he could easily climb a ladder. He liked to sit there for hours, thinking.  
He found himself thinking less and less of what had happened to Shan and his mom. Sometimes he almost hated it. It was not long enough that he could forget about them and wave his hand at all that had happened. But with everything that was happening around him, it seemed almost irrelevant.   
Sometimes he wondered what his dad would say if he saw how he grown up. He was always glad when his dad praised him as a kid for being a good boy. But Carl didn't think he would do it now. He knew well that even though it might have been worse, the Saviors were no saint. It was a big family for themselves. But for others, it was another story. He saw a few travelers, mostly people willing to trade something for something that came to them. He could see the fear in their eyes as they talked to Simon or Negan. The reputation of the Saviors seems to have been getting on through the countryside and was not the best.   
But Carl did not suffer from the illusion that it bothered anyone, rather the contrary. He had noticed, in the tale of time, how Negan had taken power and had fully taken on the role of leader of the Saviors. Nobody seemed to be against it. After all, Negan had given them everything they could wish for - home, food, medicine, safety.   
But the thing Carl did not know at that time was how things were done.   



	6. Chapter 6

Carl sometimes thought he could have learned - all good would end. And in this times it used to be even more true than ever.  


It was a normal afternoon. The weather outside was getting worse and worse, the temperature slowly dropped. Winter was approaching. Most of the Saviors thus set about securing the main factory hall, so that people could sleep there while it was warm. In the end, the old production furnace was suitable, where it was possible to heat near the fire when the fire started.  
Simon and a few men had left a few days ago. Negan said something in the sense that they discovered other settlements and were going to see what kind of people they were. Carl believed it, he had no reason to doubt Negan's words. But when Simon and the men returned and Carl met them in the courtyard, he knew immediately that something was wrong.  
One of the Saviors was wounded, the others supporting him from both sides and helping him into the building. The car, previously leaving almost empty, was full of crates. Simon talked to Negan about something, they both laughed. Simon then left and Negan went to the car, looking into the crates.  
Carl quickly headed to the car, determined to find out what was going on.  
"Oh, hello," Negan winked. "Aren't you supposed to be inside? I heard something about the winter food inventory."  
"That's done," Carl said, looking into the nearest box.  
Books, some dishes, medicines, bandages.  
"Simon was looking for supplies?"  
Negan laughed, "You could say that. From one guy we got type for one smaller settlement. Simon went to talk to them about sharing something with us ... "  
Carl didn't understand. Share? Who would share the supply of medicines and food before the winter that occupied other crates. Extra dishes? Why would anyone ...  
Then he realized. Injured Savior, weapons in the front seat.  
"They attacked it, didn't they?"  
Negan just shrugged, slammed the lid of the crate he'd been searching through, and put his bat on his shoulder. "Assault is an ugly word." Rather, agree on what would be better for them. "  
Carl didn't trust his ears.  
,, Now we are attacking settlements? When we were attacked, you said they were fuckers! What are we now ?! "  
Negan's smile quickly faded.   
"You should be careful about your mouth kid."  
It literally boiled in Carl. He knew that what they were doing wasn't always right, but going and robbing others? That shouldn't be necessary ... there should be some other way to take care of everyone ...  
"This isn't all right," he finally got out of himself.  
"I think you should finally realize what's going on around you," Negan said harshly. "We're not at your house waiting for your mom and dad to come home. Now it's either us or them."  
Negan usually said things that others would take as an insult. Carl had gotten used to it from the very beginning. He just knew that Negan didn't mean it, that it was just his style of warped humor. But now he wasn't sure. The mention of his mom and dad stabbed deep into the places Carl thought it no longer hurt.  
Carl did not wait to see if Negan wanted to say anything more and went away without a word.  


Carl wanted to run. It was cowardly, probably childish in retrospect, but he felt it. Maybe it was puberty that his mom was so scared.  
He usually slept in one room with Negan, just because it was either this or the factory building. Carl didn't have to think twice. Now he had his own bed at the window outside the door, a small locker for a few things he owned. He could call it home. But now, sitting on his bed and looking at Negan's half of the room, he was furious. He didn't want to see him, not after he told him. He didn't want to hear another wannabe clever comment, nor any praise hidden in the insult. So he took a bag, some food, a gun, and was ready to leave.  


Running away from the factory showed a bit of a nut. The main gate was guarded, and it was clear to Carl that when someone saw him, he would report it. He wondered where he could get out and just get out for a moment. But his escape plan was interrupted by a silent conversation he heard near where he was hiding. It sounded like a few Savior, recognizing the voice of one who had recently joined them. He would pay no attention to the conversation, but then heard his and Negan's name.  
“If we gets caught, we're dead. And we're just fucking two! "  
"Don't worry ... Negan goes to bed late, but never locks. I was watching. The kid, Carl, is with him, but that won't be a problem ... "  
"Do you want to kill him, too?"  
Carl leaned back from behind the crate, just a little to see exactly who was talking to the new man. He was his friend who came alone a few days later. They were barely a week away and wanted to kill someone?  
“Better not to leave witnesses. When Negan is out of the way, the rest of them will run away and we can take all this to us ... Though maybe we could take the boy with us ... You know how long and abandoned the roads are ...“  
The other man laughed as if it was a joke, while Carl had something to do to breathe. He wasn't naive, he knew what he was talking about. And he was sick of it.  
"Good idea ... At least a little fun ... When do you want to do that?"  
,,Tomorrow. They brought new supplies today, I saw a car. Many people come here and put it together. Tomorrow night there will be more peace ... "  
Carl was waiting for nothing more. He crept away as best he could, and when he was sure he was out of earshot, he ran into their room.  
  
  
Negan was just sitting on his bed reading some papers. Carl barely managed to slam the door shut and throw the backpack down.  
"Carl, what's going on?" Negan asked, putting the papers on the bed. "I thought you were somewhere in the factory."  
Carl knew well that it was not a good time to say that he was planning to escape from home. He just shook his head and went to the point.  
“I was out, walking around. Remember those two new guys, they came a few days ago? One older, bald head?“  
"Yeah, I guess I know, Simon was dealing with them today what they were going to do. Why?"  
"I heard them say they wanted to kill you," Carl blurted, still trying to catch his breath from the recent run.  
,,What? Carl, can you hear them right?? Why would ... "  
“Damn Negan, are you listening to me? "I heard them!" Carl shouted angrily. "Do you think I would confuse such a conversation with something? They want to do it tomorrow night. One already knows you don't lock up for the night. And you know you're not alone here. "  
Negan's eyes narrowed as if he had finally taken the matter seriously.  
"Are you sure, one hundred percent?"  
Carl nodded and sat in the chair beside his bed.  
,,Certainly. They want to get you out of the way. They think there will be chaos, and they will take our belongings. "  
Negan nodded and stood up.  
"In that case, let's talk to them ... Fucking traitors ... We'll do it quickly so that others can still sleep."  
Carl blinked.  
"Do you want to kill them?"  
"And what do you think they'll do if we just throw them away. Or should I lock them in factory and feed them? Carl ... You always wanted to protect your people. I think it is time to show all Saviors that you are serious. There are rules, remember? "  
Carl didn't even dare guess exactly what Negan meant. But Negan's next sentence was clear.  
“I hope you have a gun with you. We'll need it. "  
  
  
"I apologize to everyone," Negan said to the crowd, looking around, "that I wake you some after such a busy day of work, but there was something I just couldn't share with! You all know that I appreciate how we live here, how hard you work?“  
Carl just watched as the crowd nodded in agreement.  
,, We built what we have with our bare hands. Most of you standing here were there even when we got here. To a place where there was nothing. And we put everything together into what it looks like today. It took a lot of work, "Negan nodded, beginning to walk back and forth," a lot of effort and sacrifice. Nowadays it's not easy to succeed. Some may be jealous of us. I understand them, honestly. But some think they can take our things by force.. "  
An agitated whisper rushed through the crowd. People looked at each other as if looking for the culprit of this situation. Carl stared at the two traitors standing nearby, their faces showing nothing. He also noticed Simon and two other men approaching slowly from behind. Carl turned his head to Negan, who stopped beside him.  
"There are rules," Negan continued, his voice much colder. "The rules ensure that we survive. The rules are here to protect us. And tonight two of you have decided to break these rules. Simon? "  
It was like a blink of an eye. Before the traitors could realize they were talking about them, Simon and his men grabbed them from behind and pulled them to the center of the courtyard in front of Negan and Carl.  
"These newcomers have come up with a plan to improve their miserable life a little," Negan continued, his bat swinging back and forth.  
Carla couldn't see the two men watching the move with fear in their eyes. He didn't blame them.  
“Their plan was easy - kill me. And then rob you of everything you've worked so hard here. "  
The Saviors seemed to be held in place only by Negan's presence. Many of them began screaming at the traitors. But no one took a step closer to them.  
"That's not true!" Cried one of the men, trying to shout the noise of the Saviors. "It's a lie!"  
Negan paused. He turned slowly to the man who spoke. Carl watched as most of the Saviors fell silent.  
,,Lie? You think I got it wrong? Or perhaps bad information? "  
The man began to node quickly, his face tight with fear. Apparently he was willing to say anything to save himself.  
,, Exactly ... We never intended this! You must trust us! "  
Negan nodded as if thinking about it, and there was a hint of relief on the man's face.  
"It's possible," Negan nodded, putting his bat on his shoulder. "But it has a catch ... My source is reliable ...Or did you hear their conversation wrong, Carl?“  
Carl watched the man's gaze slide toward him, then back to Negan.  
"No, I haven't," he said.  
The man shook his head.  
,, He's lying! Why do you believe him! He's just a boy! "  
The crowd fell silent. The Saviors knew the relationship Carl had with Negan. Most knew their history of going through hell together before they got to where they are now. Some might say it was presumptuous from the man.  
Carl said nothing.  
"Just let me make it clear," Negan laughed somewhat manic, "are you saying Carl is a liar?"  
One of the men just lowered his head, obviously understanding the situation. The other one didn't.  
“God knows what he heard! I would never say anything like that! "  
"You said you wanted to kill Negan," Carl said calmly.  
Another wave of swearing passed through the crowd. Some Saviors took a step closer.  
"You said you wanted to kill me too," Carl continued, with a strange sense of satisfaction watching the man shake. "But your friend had different plans."  
"What do you mean?" Negan asked, turning to Carl.  
“The other one said the journey back to their place was long and boring. That he wants something to play with. "  
The courtyard fell into complete silence. Most of the Saviors gave a deep contempt for men on earth. Carl knew well how people who did such things were treated.  
“So you two not only planned my murder, but Carl's kidnapping? And it seems that not only that, "Negan added quietly and walked over to the first of the men." You don't even know how much I want to smash your head , "Negan growled at him, waving his bat close to his head. "But I won't do it."  
The men glanced at each other, most of the Saviors looked around in confusion. Punishment has never been a problem for Negan, Carl understood that it must have looked strange. But he knew what was to come. He would have given anything to have another option.  
But instead there were rules.  
"It is only fair that this traitor is taken care of by the person who informed me," Negan said solemnly, turning on his heel and stepping behind Carl.  
"Go Carl," he said quietly. "Be the Savior."  
Carl nodded. He walked over to the men kneeling on the ground, pulled the gun out of the holster, unlocked, and fired twice.  
The bodies hit the ground with a dull thud. The Saviors was silent, but Carl didn't look at either. He hid his weapon back, turned around, and returned to his seat beside Negan.  
“I hope this is a warning for all. There are rules. And he who does not respect them will be punished. "  
Everyone in the crowd nodded as if trying to prove that the message was clear to them. Carl hoped so.  
“So, let's get back to your stuff. Simon, can you take care of the mess? "  
Simon just nodded, waved at another man, and went to take care of the bodies. The Saviors went back to the factory in silent conversation. Carl felt he could finally exhale. As if it was all happening in the movie he watched, as if he really wasn't there at all.  
"You see what happened here?"  
"I killed two people," Carl replied quietly, looking at Simon as he and the other man dragged their bodies to the gate.  
"You enforced the rules," Negan corrected, and stood before him, blocking the view. "We cannot afford to relax, not at this time. You know well what would happen if they passed."  
Carla scared the thought even now. He couldn't imagine being alone in this world. Not without Negan, without the Saviors. It was all he had. And, according to Negan, he should be ready to defend it.  
,, Why ... why didn't you do it? You always do that ... "  
"You must know that it will be your job someday. And you have to be able to not only make decisions, but also execute punishment. You have to do this shitty dirty work yourself. Only then will people respect you. And respect is what makes us strong. Without respect, you will be just a fucking kid playing with a gun. But you don't want to be, are you? "  
Carl shook his head.  
,,No..."  
“Don't worry, you won't be. They saw that you were someone to count on. You fight for them.You showed them that the rules were the basis of the Saviors.“  
Carl nodded, almost automatically. It made sense. After all, the past world was full of rules. It was not possible to start something new without them.  
,,Come up. I'll get us some food, you will rest. You had a big great day. "  
Carl nodded again and was taken to their room. 


	7. Chapter 7

Carl found he hadn't paid any attention to how much time had passed since he had met Negan in the hospital. The first winter was over, air slowly warming again. It could have been a year or so. It wasn't that long, but Carl had barely remembered his previous life. Of course, he had memories of his family, the house where he lived. But more and more things became more vague, or simply couldn't remember them.

  
"Do you remember what was before?"  
Negan and Carl stood outside on the gallery, watching the noise below. People enjoyed good weather, most of the work that was possible was moved out. Someone helped with the garden, some helped with the construction of a new main gate fortification. There was still a lot of work to do in this place.  
"Yeah ... I remember ..."  
"And would you like to come back?"  
Negan was silent for a moment.  
"Probably not ... When it happened, I had no plans. Now I finally have something that drives me on.“  
Carl nodded. He understood it, and how older he became, the better he understood it.  
“What were you doing at the hospital when we met? I never asked, "Carl thought after a moment.  
"I was there to see my wife."  
Carl swallowed. He knew where it was going.  
"She ... Something happened to her there?"  
Negan sighed and leaned against the railing.  
“Not what you mean. She had cancer. She died that day. It was early in the morning, but I couldn't make myself go home. But then the shit show began and you know the rest. "  
"I'm sorry," Carl said quietly.  
Negan just nodded, looking away.  
At times, it was difficult for Carl to connect the man with whom he set out on this journey with what he had commanded the Saviors, looted, punished and killed. He sometimes wondered if this world was simply destroying people, turning them into something worse. But the longer they lived here in safety and relative comfort, the better he saw it. Though the means by which they did this were terrible, they worked. So Carl's objections were slowing down. It seemed that the old system had been lost and there was no point in sticking to it.   
There were rules instead.   


"It's disgusting."  
,,Functional."  
"But still disgusting," Carl frowned, looking around.  
Simon and his men have long wondered how to secure the factory as much as possible. Especially against those who would like to sneak in. So they finally decided to catch a few walkers, chain them to the wrecks of cars that stood along the fence, and let them watch like dogs.  
Carl was just sick of the constant growl. But he had to admit it was functional. Without pulling the walkers aside and clearing the way, it would be difficult for someone to get inside. At least it eliminated the random goggles who began to appear around.  
"What time are you leaving?"  
“When Simon finishes anything he does. The cars are out, ”Carl nodded to the gate.  
"I hope you bring me all the nice stuff," Negan winked and laughed away.  
Carl just rolled his eyes and wiped his brow with the back of his hand. It was too hot. He just hoped that it would soon cool down a bit and be able to endure outside.

  
The journey to the settlements they had agreed to supply was Carl's work for only a few months. Actually, he did the same thing over and over. The whole column arrived, showed they were dangerous and armed, Carl took care of the list of things they were supposed to get and whether they got them, loaded it and left. Most of the time he and Simon, along with other Saviors, sometimes with Negan.  
Today Carl was going to Alexandria for the first time. What he heard from Simon it was a small town, fenced and relatively well preserved. It seemed that was where the nice things they had at the factory came from.  
It would have made Carla angry before. He remembered a time when the thought of stealing others had raged and abhorred him. After a while, the resistance disappeared. Perhaps because of how happy the Saviors looked when they returned home and brought trucks full of things. Now it belonged to a large group of things Carl was trying not to solve for his own good.

  
When they arrived, Carl had to admire how well everything had been. The houses looked like a normal American street, with a small park, part of it with agriculture. It was almost unbelievable that it seemed as if no apocalypse had happened, and no hordes of walkers walked behind the fence.  
Carl had to get out of the truck to make it clear that the locals would rather see the walkers than the Saviors. Simon had a conversation with a woman who looked like the city boss as described above. Carl stood sideways for a moment, looking around. It was so different from where he lived. At least it looked a little more comfortable.  
,, Carl? We can begin. I have a list of what Negan gave me, "Simon said as soon as he ended the previous call and got back to the cars.  
Carl's eyes scanned the list.  
,,Really? Lemonade powder? "  
"The boss wants it," Simon shrugged, waving at the men waiting by the car. "Here we go!"  
Carl just sighed. Lemonade powder …

It took a long time to put everything together. It seemed that the locals would rather bury things underground than release them. Carl understood them, though he wasn't going to do anything about it.  
This period of defiance was over.  
Instead, he began to recalculate things and list everything in his list. He worked so hard for a few minutes that he barely noticed the woman who came to him with a determined expression.   
,,Who are you?!"  
Carl unchecked the bread on the list and looked up.  
"Carl."  
The woman looked at him as if looking for an answer.  
“The Saviors is kidnapping children now? Isn't it enough for Negan to steal our food and our stuff ?! "  
Carl sighed. He knew this from other settlements. He understood.  
"Can I help with something?" He asked politely, putting the list down to the nearest box.  
"You can get out and tell Negan to go to hell," the woman spat angrily.  
Carl looked over her shoulder at the locals standing behind her. None of them seemed to want to support the woman's opinion aloud.  
"Is there a problem?"   
Simon stood beside him, staring at the woman. She stared at him for a moment, then back at Carl. In the end she merely murmured another curse and left.  
Carl just shook his head and continued to work.  
"I remember this one," Simon said. "Last time she wanted to shoot one of us."  
"I thought they didn't have a lot of weapons," Carl said, confused. "Just a few, for protection."  
"That's what they say," Simon nodded, looking around. "But look at them. They're too sure. I think they hide more of it somewhere."  
Carl had known Simon long enough not to take his opinion lightly. The man had the talent to sniff out any information. And if he thought they were here, he was probably right.  
"We can search it here ... But Negan is not here to approve ..."  
Simon shrugged.  
"Either we leave it, and we'll be back next time. Or risk it now. After all, we have his right hand instead, "he added with a laugh.  
"We could bring more weapons," Carl nodded slowly. "But ..."  
,,But?“  
“When they find out what we're looking for, they can begin to defend themselves. They're angry now that we've been here long. "  
After a moment Simon nodded in agreement.  
,,You're right. If there is a shootout, we will lose more than we can get. When we get back, we can prepare a little more for the next visit ... What a list? Do you have lemonade powder? "  
Carl smirked at two tin cans, "Here." It's disgusting. I don't understand how he can drink it. "  
“Probably just to feel how many people pissed off looking for that thing. If that's all, are we going? I want to get back before dark. "  
Carl glanced through the list for the last time and nodded, "Got it all, let's go."  
"You heard the boss," Simon shouted, waving at the Saviors standing around.

"Since the truck is not shattered, was that a success?" Negan asked with interest, peering into one of the crates waiting to be laid on the ground. "Oh, lemonade!"  
"I did what you wanted," Simon nodded. "I didn't even have to tell him directly. He got it.“  
"Um ... I expected him to take advantage of our superiority and choose to attack.," Negan admitted.  
“I think he's very mature for his age. Maybe too much ... "  
,,What do you mean?"  
,, Negan ... How old can he be? Fourteen? At this age he should be with girls, not lead expeditions for supplies and shoot people in the head. "  
,,Do you disagrees with me?"  
Simon sighed, “You know I agree. It is necessary. He must know all that. Just ... I find it unfair. Today I saw some kids in Alexandria, his age. They seemed to have a normal life wherever possible. None of them had to bear such responsibility ... "  
"None of them will achieve anything in the future.," Negan said. "It's necessary.  
Simon had noticed Negan's attitude to Carl as his heir. It was not a topic that could be discussed. He just hoped Carl would want to take this place. He had no idea what they would do if Carl decided he had interests other than being the new Negan. Still, he nodded and began unloading the truck.

  
  
Carl knew that there were no rules in this world, as before. Most of the people around him liked to use it and customize their lives. But nobody probably did it as much as Negan did.  
For half an hour, Carl was sitting in the lounge they had set up at the factory, listening to the women talking around him. There were about five of them. All beautiful, dressed in black mini dress, combed, nicely groomed.  
Negan's wives.  
At first Carl couldn't believe it when he returned from a two-day supply trip and found Negan and other women in the lounge. Negan readily introduced them and began to talk about how happy he was that everyone was well. Carl watched the women for the rest of the meeting. He didn't think they were being held there by force. He knew well that if Negan hated something, it was physical violence against children and women. He had to admit that after all, it was Negan's thing. If he wanted one wife, or even more, he could do what he wanted.  
Carl looked around again, trying to find a way to get away. Not that the women weren't liking him, but he had no idea what to say to them. Negan seems to have noticed his behavior and came closer to him.  
"Looking for how to disappear?"  
"Maybe," Carl admitted reluctantly.   
,, I see, you're still young for this. Will you take Lucille to my room? I'll be there in a minute, I want to discuss another way for you with supplies. "  
Carl slowly picked up his bat and set off for their room.  
Naming the bat was another peculiarity Negan had made. Carl did not ask whose name it was, but he had idea. The memory of a small conversation about Negan's deceased wife was carefully stored in Carl's memory. Negan seemed a little more sentimental than he would be willing to admit. Carl didn't mind. It was still proof that, despite all the violence and murder, Negan was still human. And Carl always liked that. 


	8. Chapter 8

Today was day D. From the morning, Carl watched the hustle and bustle in the courtyard, where the Savior was preparing two trucks to visit Alexandria.   
"You look a bit depressed today," Simon said from around the corner where Carl stood.  
"Just the mood ... Do you think it'll be okay?"  
,,Are you worried?"  
"If I wasn´t, I'd probably be dead," Carl sneered.   
"A little worry is good enought," Simon nodded. "I think it will be okay. Where is Negan?"  
"He's ... With his wives," Carl said casually.  
He had kept for himself in what kind of situation he found Negan. He would only be grateful to erase the memory from his head.  
"Well ... I noticed he was doing well"  
Carl shrugged, "He can do whatever he wants ..."  
,, And what about you and the girls? Still nothing?"  
Carl laughed unhappy and pointed around.  
,, There aren't many girls my age. I met a few in other settlements, but you know how it works. "  
“Do you ever feel sorry? That you don't have a normal life? "  
"You have a lot of questions today," Carl observed.  
Simon wasn't usually the kind of question he asked if it wasn't about getting information that was important to him. Carl doubted his non-existent love life was such information.  
Before he could share this view, however, Negan appeared in the doorway and walked toward them in a merry step. Carl refused to think why he was so cheerful.  
"Gentlemen, can we? We're damn busy today! "  
Simon nodded and motioned to the standing Saviors to prepare and set off toward the trucks. Carl intended the same thing, but the hand on his shoulder stopped him.  
"You know it's a little special day," Negan said, hand on his shoulder leading him to the first truck. "I'll need you to be in shape today."  
,,What does it mean?"  
,, If we find something, and I think we both know we will, a little reminder will be needed. And that they have some rules and must follow them. I hope I can count on you ... "  
Carl swallowed and nodded, as always.  
,,Yes you can..."  
"Good boy," Negan smiled and got into the truck.  
Carl jumped behind him and closed the door behind him. He knew it from early morning. Negan would never let anyone hide from him anything he claimed and not punish him.  
  


Carl stood beside Negan, who looked around for Alexandria. People were standing all around, reluctantly watching the Saviors searching house by house looking for weapons. Their leader, Deanna, had repeatedly tried to explain to Negan why the Saviors had so far found four rifles that were not on the list, but Negan didn't seem interested in her explanation.   
“I think I gave you enough opportunities to understand one thing. The rules are everything. And you did what?You broke them. I have literally no choice but to punish you! "said Negan with a smile, swinging on his heels.  
Carl stood beside him, silent. He knew this show well. Negan acted like a madman in the middle of time, but Carl knew it was just a theater. But it had an effect, at least according to Deanna's pale face.   
The Savior came back from the search and put the remaining weapons and ammunition in the prepared crates. Enough, Carl had to admit it. Smaller weapons, rifles, even one machine gun. Enough of the arsenal of a settlement that claims they only need high walls and a few people on the gallery.   
“As I said, the rules. Where did the weapons come from? "  
Deanna looked at the people standing around. Nor did they seem to have any answer.  
"It was a trade," she finally said. "A group came here. They wanted food, they had weapons."  
,, So many weapons? Negan asked, slowly aiming the bat at Deanne's head.   
,, I don't know! They came here recently, about a week back. About five people. "  
"Who leads them?"  
“Some guy, a former cop. He said they had a sick woman in the camp, so he wanted medicine, but we had nothing to spare, so he took food and left! "  
Negan lower his bat and waved it on his shoulder.   
"Okay, that could be believed. Let's see if we find out who is hanging around for people that they have so many weapons to hand out. "  
Deanna's expression was full of relief. For a moment Negan seemed to go. He took a few steps away. But then he stopped and laughed. Carl watched with strange amusement as Deanne jerked at the sound.   
,, I almost forgot! Damn how it could have happened! We talked about your punishment before you told us nicely about the visits you have here! "  
The Savior around began to laugh with Negan. According to Carl, most of them were just looking for some shooting.   
Carl knew well that not all Saviors was like him or Negan, people with vision. Some of them joined purely because they wanted to have a place to sleep and liked killing and robbing. Carl initially despised such people, but Negan said it was better to have those people with him than against him. Which was a logic that could not be fought. So they rode with them for supply rides, and while some Saviors getting things done, these guys frightened the surroundings.   
"Negan, really, I ..."  
"Two boxes!" shouted Negan. „Two boxes of ammunition and weapons. But because I'm a sensible man, "he added, a little more calmly," I just want one thing.“  
"Yes?" Deanna asked hopefully.  
"Two of your men."  
There was silence in the courtyard. Deanna was silent for a moment, as if she needed time to process the information.  
“How two men? You already have our food, medicines, weapons, do you want to take me two people? "  
"No, I wouldn't dare," Negan chuckled. "I'm definitely not going to také them anywhere! Simon?"  
It was a flash. Simon and the other Saviors scattered among the locals accidentally grabbed two men and dragged them in front of Negan.   
"Are you crazy?" Deanna cried. "Do you want to kill them? They have nothing to do with this! Please!"  
Negan only shook his head and began to walk around the men who were kneeling on the ground. Both could be about thirty, forty. One of them stared into the ground, trembling with fear. But the other one stared at Negan as if trying to prove something to him.   
,,To kill them? No, I don't want to kill them. But you didn't give me a choice. You knew what it would bring to this place. You got them into it yourself, "Negan said in a well-played caring tone.  
"You can't kill them, you can't ..."  
"I won't kill them, don't worry ..."  
"Then why did you say that ..."  
Deanna's babble broke one word.  
"Carl?"  
Carl took a deep breath and took a few steps forward. Most of the locals looked at him uncomprehendingly, apparently only remembering him when he was stocking up supplies.   
“What do you think, Carl? Does the violation deserve punishment? "  
Carl nodded.   
,, See? Even the young understand it. So why don't you understand? "  
"It's just a kid," Deanna spat, "he knows nothing about life!"  
Negan's smile disappeared from his face. A few Saviorss looked at each other as if curiously waiting for what would happen next. Carl barely swallowed a cheeky retort. Kid ... He ceased to be a kid when a horde of people running from the living corpses almost trampled him on the dirty ground.   
"Well, I think there's nothing more to be told," Negan nodded, pointing to the man on the left.  
Carl didn't wait for anything. He pulled out his gun and fired.   
Deanna screamed in shock, as did the few locals standing by. Carl saw a couple of Saviors laughing.   
,, So, we're in the middle of this beautiful conversation! Anything else you'd like to say? "  
,, You're a bastard! Will you let this kid kill for you? Don´t you have the courage to do it yourself? "  
Negan leaned closer, looking directly into Deanna's face.  
"I think the last time I smashed head one of your dear residents of Alexandria, you said something else, didn't you?"  
Deanna preferred not to say anything about that, which Carl aproved. The murdering Negan was manageable, but if he was angry, there was a risk that someone else would feel it. And Carl wouldn't want to be nearby at the moment. He knew well that at times Negan had a little trouble managing his emotions. After all, he was a very lively man who was not afraid to show them. Which sometimes did not goodness together.  
"You disgust me," Deanna murmured.  
"You're not the first to say that," Negan shrugged. "Carl, stop it. I think we have everything we've come for."  
Carl pointed the gun at the other man, who began to sob in terror.  
"You don't have to do this!" Deanna cried suddenly into the silence. "You don't have to be with him! He's crazy!  
Negan turned to watch the conversation with interest.   
"Help with what?" Carl asked.  
“Run away, get away from him! I know he's kidnapping people! "  
Carl immediately understood. She thought he was a kidnapped child from some other settlement that Negan was holding at home for pleasure or as a lever against someone else.  
"And what do you think I should do?" He asked.  
It was getting a little funny.  
There was hope on the older woman's face: "Kill him! Kill him and we'll help you! "  
Carl raised his eyebrows, and after a moment of silence he pointed the gun at Negan in one smooth motion. He noticed how most of the Saviors automatically raised their weapons and pointed them at him. He knew well that they loved and respected him, but if he were a threat to Negan, he was sure they would shoot him like a dog. Carl looked into Negan's eyes. And he saw something he hadn't seen in them for a very long time - fear.  
,,Like this?"  
"Yes!" Deanna cried hopefully. "Stop it!"  
Carl just nodded. He lowered his gun back to the man at his feet and fired.   
"What ... why are you ..."  
"Rules," Carl replied simply, putting the gun in its holster.   
Deanne's expression was wrapped in rage.   
"You're the same bastard he is!"  
Carl just nodded. He was, he knew that long ago. Without giving Deanna another look, he walked around the bodies on the ground and headed for Negan. 

  
While the Saviors was packing things in a truck, Negan took Carl aside.  
"That was pretty on the edge boy," Negan said hard.  
Carl raised his chin defiantly, "You don't believe me?"  
Negan was silent for a moment.  
"We'd better go," he said at last, heading for the truck.  
Carl followed him without a word. 

  
  
„For a moment I thought Carl would really shoot you.“  
Negan leaned back in the lounge bar and poured himself a generous dose of whiskey. He needed it.  
"Me too," Negan admitted, making sure they were alone in the room. "What the hell is happening with him?"  
"Puberty," Simon replied simply. "He could be that age. Plus, shooting people..."  
"Sometimes I feel that you disagree with my plan as much as you always tell me you agree," Negan growled.   
Simon shrugged, "I agree." But if you teach him to kill, he could soon start choosing who he wants to kill. I think you should initiate him into your little plan soon. Otherwise, he may not like it and shoot us all. "  
"He wouldn't," Negan shook his head.   
“It's not the kid who came to you to our camp and was looking for mom. You must give him the choice, "Simon replied, and left.  
Negan took three more glasses before heading for his room. 


	9. Chapter 9

Carl waited all day to see if there was any punishment for the idea of threatening Negan with a gun. But nothing happened. Most of the Saviors took it as a good joke he made for the leader of Alexandria and left it. Carl was really grateful for that, because he still had no idea why he did it.  
Perhaps a choice? The idea of how he could change the fate of dozens of people around him in one move. The feeling of power he suddenly felt. That even a man as strong as Negan can fell the fear because of him?  
Carl hid in his place on the roof as soon as they returned home. He needed to be alone, to think through everything, to understand. Recently, he just wanted to hit something to deal with the pressure he felt. He knew he could either be successful or dead in this world. But he had no idea that being the first would be so hard. 

  
He went to bed really late He crept in quietly, determined not to wake Negan. But as soon as he closed the door, the light came on.  
,,Where have you been?"  
Carl just shrugged, "Outside, take a walk ..."  
Negan nodded and pointed to the chair across from the couch. Carl sat down trying to find out what had happened. Negan looked serious, not even having any of his favorite comments. It has never been good.  
"I want to talk about today."  
Carl nodded without a word.  
“What you did today was a violation of the rules. Do you know it?"  
Carl nodded, nodding, "We will not endanger another Savior unless he has turned against us or the rules."  
Negan grunted in agreement. For a moment there was a heavy silence in the room.  
"You wanted to fire?"  
Carl shook his head quickly.  
"No ... You know I wouldn't hurt you!"  
"In Alexandria it looked different Carl ..."  
Carl lowered his head, trying to find words he could explain.   
"I ... As she talked about what I could do ... I thought there were so many options, with everything I do ... I thought for a while about what would happen ..."  
“When you aim at someone, you have a lot in your hands. But with that comes responsibility ... "  
"You have it from Spider-man," Carl snorted with a small smile.  
"Maybe," Negan waved, "but the essence remains. I don't want you to just walk and shoot at everybody I point to. I want you to always know why this is happening. To understand why I didn't let you grow up here as normal boy, but I give you a job that other guys would do elsewhere. "  
"Sometimes ... sometimes I think about it," Carl admitted. "I know everyone here respects and I´m not kid for them ... but I was wondering why you were doing it ..."  
"You have to understand that this is not something I was planning from the start," Negan began to explain. "At first, I was hoping you could be someone to adapt a little to work. I didn't have great ambitions. But it turned out that you are much more than someone in a row. I saw it, Simon saw it And so I decided to give you a few tasks Just to see how you deal with it And it was fucking amazing every time. I told you Carl, and I still think so. You're just something else. Something the Saviors will need ... "  
"Are you leaving?" Carl asked in alarm.  
"Don't worry, perhaps not for a long time," Negan winked, "but I'm not twenty. What we built here may take years, decades. But not without someone who will be able to take over from me."  
"Take over ... You mean I'm the commander of the Saviors? After you?"  
"I'm glad you didn't lose your mind during your obviously beginning puberty."  
Carl was silent, trying to work it all out. Simon many times called him boss, if they went somewhere without Negan. But to hear it from him and from Negan was diametrically opposed to Carl.   
"I ... I don't know what to say ... I don't think I can handle it ..."  
You don't have to," Negan nodded understandingly. "I hope I will be here for a long time. But I want to be sure that if anything goes wrong, you will be here. I can't bear the feeling that everything will be gone, "he admitted.  
Carl understood the feeling. He coudn´t imagine what it would be if the Saviors simply disappeared, if Negan disappeared. He knew that someday, in the distant future, it would surely happen because of their lifestyle, but it was an idea Carl refused to think about.   
"I don't know what to say," Carl admitted after a moment of silence.   
“So far, all you have to do is understand why you're doing what you shouldn't do at your age. I understand I'm putting a lot on you. In everything. But it has a reason. If only you were to go somewhere when I can´t, it would be worth it. I needed to know that you would do everything in your power to defend our interests in all ways. "  
"I will," Carl nodded solemnly.   
Negan nodded contentedly and sighed through his hair. "Please don't aim your gun at me anymore." For a while I thought I'd have a heart attack, "he added jokingly.  
"I'll try," Carl laughed.

  
Carl could not even describe how relieved he was that he had gone through this conversation. On the other hand, he had a mind full of thoughts. Even when Negan was asleep long ago, Carl was awake, looking out the window.   
He and the commander of the Saviors?   
He couldn't imagine that he could handle it. The age at the time was defacto, but he couldn't gain enough experience in such a short time to handle such a big task. Negan was right, it could take another decade. But on other hand... Injuries were common in their lives. What would a world like without Negan?  
It was clear to Carl that many people out there would be celebrating. For them it was someone who stole their belongings, looted their houses and murdered their people. Like the rest of the Saviors. But for him it was someone so important ...  
Carl could only hope he could protect him. Negan was one of the few people he could trust. And it was a rarity at this time.  



	10. Chapter 10

The summer was slowly over. The temperature began to fall, the Saviors began to prepare for the coming winter. Carl was not so afraid this time. The factory was well prepared for everything, he made sure of it whenever he checked the inventory of food and material. Carl knew well that they couldn't say the same everywhere.  
  
  
That day looked normal. Carl was outside, practicing target shooting. He tried to catch up with some missed practices. Simon, however, interrupted his activity and ran to him.  
"What's going on?" Carl asked, hiding his weapon.   
Simon was usually not the type of man running around, no with an expression of concern on his face.  
"Negan wants you in the courtyard now."  
Carl did not hesitate and ran with Simon to the courtyard.  


Once Carl got in his place, one glance was enough to see why Simon was in such a hurry.  
On the ground lay the bodies of the killed Saviors.  
Carl recognized the men. They were the same ones who had gone to Hilltop for supplies the day before. They were supposed to come back the next day.  
,,What happened?!"  
“Two of our men went by Hilltop and saw our truck. But no one was there. They got closer and found their bodies on the ground. According to them, there was a group on Hilltop that helped the locals fight, "Simon said grimly.  
Negan, who had been standing aside and talking to the two Savior who had brought the bodies, had gone to Carl.   
“It's the group they talked about in Alexandria. Same description, the former cop is leading. They saw them leaving Hilltop when they reached the settlement. "  
,,What do we do? They can be anywhere, "Carl said.   
"We can go to Hilltop," Simon said. "I'll take the guys..."  
"Go there, do what you need," Negan nodded absently. "Carl, you will stay here. We'll go for a little ride ..."  


"What are we going to do here?"  
“This little bunch was already in Alexandria. I want to make sure they don't want to hide there, "Negan explained, and he parked his car in a nearby forest, within sight of the settlement.   
Carl turned forward and took the binoculars to look closer.   
"Do you see anything?"  
"Yeah ... The gate is open, there is a caravan. I've never seen it in Alexandria ... Do you think it's them? "  
„I'll bet my neck on ... The bastards,“ Negan cursed. „I wonder what kind of people they are. They invade my settlements and fucking shoot my men.“   
"Will we leave them alone?"  
,,We must. We don't have enough people here. And if they are as willing to fight as it looks so far, it will be bloodshed. Do we still have our people there? "  
Carl nodded, still watching the settlement: "Yeah, there are two, Simon is in contact with them."  
"Okay, I want to find out who the fuck they are ... Let's go and put it together."  
Carl had to admit he was curious about who the newcomers were. The people in the settlements got used to the fact that violations rules led to more violence. And so they never fought back. Certainly no one would dare to kill so many Saviors.   
  
  
They waited weeks for their moment. Simon had done everything on Hilltop that day, and Negan then ordered him to connect with people in Alexandria for information.   
It turned out that it was really a group that their leader Deanna had spoken of before. And, according to Simon's informant, Deanne was no longer in her old place. It was replaced by the former cop who led the people in the caravan. There was talk of some gunfight because of one's wife, bloodshed on the street, and then a change of leadership. The source also stated that not everyone in Alexandria was satisfied with the change. It was an interesting twist for Carl. Deanna didn't look like someone to give up her position. Plus, a gunfight for someone's wife?  
  
And just after a few weeks of waiting they got the information they were waiting for. One woman from the ex-cop group was ill and they planned to transport her to Hilltop to see the doctor. The group was to split up - someone to stay in Alexandria, the rest to set out on the road. 

The plan was easy. One part of the group waits near Alexandria with the intention of capturing the remaining members of the group. The other, headed by Negan, headed out into the woods. At the event, Negan found a convenient place on the map, a big glade, where most of the cars were parked and waited. Simon, with a few guys in the car, had the last and simple task of crossing the path of the caravan to reach here. Carl wasn't quite sure of the plan, it seemed a bit too much of a theater around, but it was Negan's action, so it was to be expected. Carl felt that Negan was going to have something really special about this evening.   


The first group with the people of Alexandria returned later than expected. And as it turned out, those people didn't go without a fight. It took two more of the Savior's dead to get the cop's people into the truck and get them to their place.  
As soon as Negan found out, he seemed to be furious.  
"I should kill them all," he muttered angrily as they sat in the truck waiting.   
The lights were out, with only a few Saviors standing outside, shortening their waiting by smoking or talking. The sun had dropped beyond the horizon, Carl knew that Simon should return at any moment.  
"You don't have to kill them all," Carl said quietly. "If you kill them all, who will then transmit the message?"  
"We can stab their heads on stakes, like at home," Negan suggested with a wicked grin.  
"You're disgusting," Carl refused, "I'm not going to do that."  
“Okay, no stabbing. But I still smash someone's head today ... Eight men! Assholes ... "  
Preventing Negan from smashing someones head with Lucille was something Carl refused to take. So he just nodded and continued to look around.   


Simon returned in the end with all the people he had gone with. He parked the car next to the others and joined Negan and Carl in the truck.  
,,So what?"  
“We blocked the road. We shot the caravan as far as we could and when they left, it was damaged. We put more roadblocks on the road, so this road is the last they have. "  
"Excellent," Negan nodded, putting on his glove, "I'm looking forward to it."  
The conversation was interrupted by one of the Savior, who flashed the flashlight three times on the signal.  
"Here we go," Negan winked and nodded to Simon.  


They didn't have to wait long. There was a sound of silent conversation and footsteps through the forest. As soon as the group reached the glade, all the Saviors turned on the lights of the cars, reliably disorienting the group.   
Simon stepped forward and, with the help of other men, put them all on their knees, picking up their weapons. People from Alexandria were added last. Carl did not have a very good view from the car; Some women and men. No child for which he was grateful. A moment later a knock sounded on the hood of the truck. Negan climbed out, Carl followed.  


About ten people were kneeling on the ground. Negan walked by, beginning his talk about breaking the rules. Carl glanced back and forth. And as he looked at the man Simon had marked as leader, he tensed.  
Dad.  
He would recognize him everywhere. He had long hair, a torn, overgrown face, but it was him. He also had a gun holster, as he wore to work. He had the horrible sheriff hat that he had lent to Carl as a little boy.  
Carl felt for a moment that he couldn't breathe. Could it be true? Could fate have such an ironic sense of humor and put them back together in such a place, at such a time? And what did his dad do with these people who murdered the Saviors?   
Negan turned to Carl and apparently noticed his expression.  
,,What's happening?"  
Shaking his hand, Carl pointed in the middle of the line, "This is Dad ..."  
He lifted his head, and as soon as he saw Carl he began to tremble, tears running down his face.   
,, Carl? Oh god ... You live! Carl ... "  
His dad seemed to want to get up and go after him, but a hit in the back of his back knocked him back to the ground.   
Negan looked at him, then at Dad, then back at him. And then he just laughed.  
,, Fucking family reunion! So this is The Rick I've heard so much about! Wow ... I literally don't know what to do with this family gathering! "  
Carl was silent. His dad looked desperately at him, literally calling him. But Carl couldn't take a step. Yes, he was his dad. But Carl also couldn't forget why everyone was here.   
"Carl," his dad sobbed softly, "how ... what are you doing here with him? Why ..."  
"Oh yes, family," Negan laughed. "Joy and worry. The question is, how do we solve this whole thing now. You all know why you are here. Especially you, Rick. You killed my men. And after that, you killed the man who was going to kidnap your men. It's very bad to start with, I have to say.“  
Carl took a few steps closer. He felt strangely numb. He couldn't understand why his dad had gotten together with the people who drove the settlements and killed them. It was a strange disappointment. Carl always thought his dad was a sensible man. But the man, who was kneeling on the ground and shaking with hysterical crying, was far from reasonable.   
Negan stood beside him and wrapped his arms around him, Carl found at least some comfort in the touch. The whole thing was so screwed!  
“Don't touch him! Did you kidnap him? "What did you do to him?" He added hatefully.  
"Dad, stop it," Carl said quickly.   
,, Carl? Do you even know who he is? "his dad shouted angrily.  
"I know it well," Carl nodded.   
"So how can you just stand with him?"  
"I'm a little bored," Negan interrupted harshly, taking a walk back and forth in front of the kneeling band. "You can say that afterwards. We are all here for another reason now. It is clear that you have come here and you do not know how it is. If you did, perhaps you wouldn't kill my men. But I'll be so kind, "he added, smiling and waving his bat," and I'll explain everything. So, will you tell Carl that reason? "  
"There are rules," Carl said, watching the horror of his dad's face.  
The Saviors nodded in agreement. Dad's group looked around in horror. Carl understood. These people looked like someone who had no rules. Which brought them here. What he didn't understand was why his father had thrown himself out with such people. He was a cop! He was the embodiment of the rules. Yet he was here, with the blood of the Saviors on his hands.   
,,Exactly. There are rules. The rules that make it work. But you broke those rules.. The people on Hilltop had to pay for it, as did the people in Alexandria. But the list wouldn't be so complete if there was no punishment for you too..."  
Some Saviors shouted in agreement, others began to laugh. Carl stood still, watching his dad's face twist in anger.  
,, What do you want from us, huh? You loot, you steal, you murder! "  
Negan just shook his head.  
"Excuses aside. I think we'll pick one of you to make it fair. But who, um ... "  
Suddenly there was a scream from the left. The young Asian wanted to reach the girl who was kneeling in the middle, but was immediately dragged back to his place, laughing at the surrounding Saviors.   
"Damn, it's tense today," Negan nodded and pointed his bat at the young Asian. "I'll give one try for free, purely out of the goodness of my heart, "he added coldly, smiling, showing too many teeth. "Um ... Whom to choose ..."  
,, Carl! Stop it, for God's sake! "  
"Don't worry, Rick, it'll come to you." So, any volunteers? "  
"Go to hell," came from an older redheaded man kneeling close to his dad.  
Negan nodded in satisfaction and swung with Lucille. The forest was filled with the sound of a dull blow, in which most of Dad's group screamed in terror.   
"Look at him!" Negan pointed to the laughing man, who was apparently still kneeling by force of will, his head broken and bloody. "It was a good whip but he took it as a champ!  
The blows continued. Carl watched as Negan had conquered the man on the ground, leaving nothing else but a porridge full of bones, blood, and brain. It reminded him a little of the first moment he'd seen something like that. Back in the woods, God knows how long ago Negan saved Carla from a walker. Suddenly it looked so long ago ...  
The sound of the blows stopped. The people on the ground stared in horror at Negan as Negan walked calmly toward Rick and pointed his bloody bat at his face.  
“I hope it was a good enough warning for you. It happened because of you. I don't think you want it to happen again, do you? The rest of you too, "he added to the rest of the group.  
Then one of the men threw himself out of the ground, and before anyone could do anything, he hit Negan directly in the face. The Saviors got him down, the rest pointed at him with weapons. Carl was no exception. He did not remember if he had ever drawn a weapon fast like this in his life.   
"So this was the thing I was talking about a fucking second ago," Negan sneered, wiping his bloody lip. "Unusable, really ... He's like a wild dog that needs bullet ... Okay, ladies and gentleman, round number two! Simon, pick one you want. "  
Simon grabbed the Asian who had tried to get to the girl next to him and knocked him to the ground in front of Negan. The other man who slammed Negan tried to free himself from the grip, but the two Saviors reliably held him to the ground. The Asian man began to scream, beg, but no one responded.  
"So ... Rick, can you guess what will happen now?"  
"Don't kill him," Dad got down on the ground. "Please ... Don't kill him ..."  
"Don't worry, I won't kill him," Negan said calmly, leaning his bat on the ground.   
His dad raised his head as if hoping they let Asian boy go. Carl just sighed. He still couldn't get used to this part. Knowing Negan's plan made it a little easier. But still not much ...   
"Carl?"  
Without a word, Carl stepped closer and stopped beside Negan.  
“Now I want you to look closely. Especially those who did not see the last demonstration and did not understand its meaning. There are rules! And for breaking the rules comes what?" Negan asked, looking around.  
"Punishment," the Savior replied uniformly.  
It was very impressive.  
"Yes, punishment ... So, Carl ..."  
Carl took the last step toward an Asian. The weapon was due to the previous conflict still in hand. So he just aimed and pulled the trigger.  
The young woman, kneeling in the back of the ground, collapsed to the ground with a painful scream. The others screamed and cursed, someone crying again. Carl looked at his father, seeing a mixture of misunderstanding and pure hatred on his face. But he could not deal with it now, not before all the Saviors. He hid his weapon and returned to his place beside Negan.   
"This," Negan exclaimed, pointing his bat at the dead man in front of him, "this was a final warning. There are rules and you will follow them. Otherwise, punishment will follow. Rick, "Negan smiled and headed closer," I heard you were the leader of Alexandria now. Surely you already understand your duties, huh? "  
His father muttered something, but Carl didn't hear what.  
"Rick, speak out loud," Negan shook his head displeasedly, "or should I pick someone else?"  
"I'll kill you," he said shakily. "Not tonight ... but I'll kill you once ..."  
Negan straightened slowly, staring at the man before him.   
"You seem to be asking for death, Rick..."  
Carl looked into Negan's eyes. He hoped it wouldn't happen. He knew that according to the Savior's rules, Negan was fully entitled to do so. But he hoped he would have a chance to talk to Dad about everything that happened, why he was with those people.   
Negan was silent, Carla thought as if wondering what would be best for him. But then he smiled again, and Carl could only swallow quietly. He knew the smile all too well.  
"Literally, nothing would make my day feel better like smashing your head into small pieces . But I understand that it wouldn't be fair to Carl, "Negan nodded benevolently," so, let's go on a trip! "  
Carl could only watch as two of the Savior, led by Simon, grabbed his dad and forcibly dragged him into the truck and locked him. The rest of the group on the ground began to rebel, but the weapons aimed at their heads could keep them down. Carl really didn't understand why they didn't realize that this whole thing wasn't necessary at all. After all, there were no raiders to get out of the fun, kill half the people and leave again.   
,, The rest of you can go. Don't worry, we'll take good care of your little boss !, "Negan winked, pointing his bat at the man below, who was still literally kneeling on the two Savior men." And you ... Try again. And that little girl will be next...“  
Surprisingly, the man calmed down, obviously understanding that the threat was real. He was dragged back to his people and the Savior prepared to leave. Without hesitation, Carl stepped into the truck and waited for Negan.  
"I hope your dad turns out to be a little more reasonable than before," Negan said as he closed the door and started the engine. "From what you told him I thought he would understand . "  
"Me too," Carl nodded. "Me too ..."  



	11. Chapter 11

Two weeks passed during which his dad was locked up in a prison in factory. Carl thought for a moment that Negan wouldn´t want him to come and talk to him, but the opposite was true. Carl could have visited him as he wanted, sometimes bringing him food. But the good situation ended. Most of the time his dad just refused to talk to him.   
  
"I don't know what's going on," Carl confessed to Negan as they sat in the lounge together.   
Sometimes they met like that, even though those moments were a bit rarer than before. Only the two of them, no one around who could hear them. Carl liked those moments very much. He always felt like he could confide in anything.  
,,What do you think?"  
,, Dad ... I've been to him several times, but he refuses to talk to me. He just sits there and stays silent ... He doesn't even look at me ... "  
"I think he just hated seeing what happened to you," Negan replied, settling down on one of the couches.   
Without hesitation, Carl sat beside himself and let himself be wrapped around his shoulders. Though he felt a little like a small child he had not been a long time ago, it was still pleasant.  
"Do you think it's because of that Asian?"  
Negan nodded in agreement, "Not only that ... He remembers you as a little kid. And now he saw where you got and what you did. Carl, honestly, have you seen those people around? It was waste. No one with any sense would do that. But they will rebel on and on. I fear that when we meet again, the warning will not be enough. "  
It was clear to Carl. And not only Negan's words, but the very fact that it wasn't the last meeting. The whole group looked too rebellious, willing to take revenge. There could have been other problems in the future.   
  
  
His dad talked to him long days after he was brought to the factory. Carl was on a regular visit when he brought a tray of food. He didn't even hope that anything would change. But as soon as he pushed the tray between the bars, his dad's hand grabbed his wrist.   
"Carl ..."  
"Are you talking to me?" Carl asked coldly.  
He was already so annoyed by the situation!   
"Don't you see ... Don't you know what you did?" his dad asked in a hoarse voice.   
"I care about you," Carl said, pulling his hand out of his grip.   
,,You killed Glenn ... You executed him! Just because the bastard said that? Is he blackmailing you with something? "  
Carl sighed and sat down close to the bars. He hoped a little that his dad would realize why it was necessary. Apparently not.  
"You broke the rules."  
"Yeah, I fucking heard that," his dad snapped. "We killed those bastards because they looted Hilltop. Did you see what they were doing there?!“  
"I usually ride with them," Carl snapped rebelliously. "We take our share. That's the deal they made with us."  
,,With us? Do you really think you're one of them? You're a boy, Carl! What do you think your mom would say? For God's sake ... "  
,,I do not know! And you know why? Because she and Shan left me! As the world went to hell, they left and left me at the hospital where you lay! Only thanks to Negan did I ever get away! "  
"So you're doing this because you owe him ?!"  
"I don't owe him anything," Carl shook his head, though it wasn't entirely true. "He was the only one who took care of me. He took me to me when I wanted to get to Atlanta, behind you. And it seems she lied about it, "Carl added disappointedly.  
,, I don't understand ... I met her! Even Shane, he said you disappeared, you're dead ... "  
Carl was surprised to hear that his mom and Shane had made it.  
"Where are they now?"  
His dad was silent for a moment.  
"Shane died ... And your mom too, in childbirth ..."  
,, Wait ... When? She wasn't pregnant when it all started, "Carl didn't understand.  
"She ... When I was away, she was with Shan ..."  
Carl couldn't hide the shock. Did he suspect there was something strange between them before it started, but a child? And at this time? His mom was always such a careful woman ...  
"Where's the baby now?"  
,,Why do you want to know?"  
Carl frowned at the question, "She's my sibling!" I have the right to know if she's all right! "  
"So that Negan can use it the way he uses you?" Never, "his dad shook his head." Your little sister is just a toddler. She doesn't deserve to be dragged into Negan's world ... "  
Sister. So he had a little sister. Carl couldn't imagine she could live out there and be fine. If she was a toddler, she needed a lot of things. He doubted that wherever she was, she could be properly taken care of. Certainly not the people he saw with his dad in the forest.  
“Why weren't you with her? Where did you leave her! With someone else? "  
"She's safe," Dad replied.  
Carl doubted that. No one was safe here. But then he remembered something. Half the people stayed in Alexandria that evening. The Savior did not mention any child, but did not seek any. Could she be there? Toddler in Alexandria had no one, he knew for sure, only older kids.  
"She's there, isn't she?" Carl said with a sigh, rising from the ground. "In Alexandria ..."  
It was there, a flash in my dad's eyes, but by now Carl knew he was right. Without hesitation, Carl went to the door. But Dad's screams stopped him.  
"Don't take her out of there! It's her home and her family. I will not let it fall into the hands of Negan! "  
"I'm her family," Carl shook his head and walked away.  
He needed to find Negan quickly.  
  
  
"It is more interesting than I had hoped," Negan told Simon.   
Simon managed to hear Carl's last conversation with his father and went straight to Negan.  
"Do you think it's a good idea to bring a baby here? After all ... We are Saviors, not nannies ... "  
"Maybe a little kids wouldn't hurt," Negan shrugged.  
,,In what?"  
"Carl will have other worries than listening to the cop's babbling about that I use him.."  
"Are you afraid Rick will convincing him?"  
Negan paused.  
"He's his dad ... The boy was determined to find him at the beginning, even if it going to kill him. And it's not that long ... "  
  
  
Carl couldn't find Negan anywhere for hours. Only then did he finally meet him at the shooting range, where he trained shooting.  
,, Negane? I need to talk to you!"  
,, Yes kid? "What happened?" Negan asked in surprise, putting down his weapon.  
"I ... Dad finally started talking to me .. He confessed my mom had another child. She died in childbirth, but the baby is alive. He refused to tell me where she was, but I think she'll be in Alexandria ... "  
"Um ... Who´s father? Your dad was gone. "  
"According to dad, it was Shane," Carl muttered, and sat down on the table where the weapons were placed.   
"Is that the one who left you in the hospital?"  
"Yeah, that ... They seem to have been busy with Mom. Dad met them and they told him I was dead ... "  
Negan laughed, amused, "Nice family ..."  
“Negan, you're not helping. We've got to get her! "  
“Are you sure she's there? She could be anywhere, "Negan said, firing his target again.   
"We can at least try ... There's no toddler in Alexandria, according to the inventory. "  
"Um ... We have to go there in a few days, but I'm a little scared of what it will look like. Maybe it won't be the best time to look for a child ... "  
Carl shook his head, “No, you don't understand. She's my sister! I can't leave her there! "  
“Caring a small child is responsibility. Who will do that? "  
"Me," Carl snapped rebelliously.   
Negan cocked his head questioningly, "What do you know about raising children?"  
"Then I'll learn ... Damn Negan, it's a family. I can't leave her there, not with those people ... "  
Negan sighed after a moment of silence and set the rifle on the table.   
"You're stubborn."  
"And you said you like it," Carl smiled.  
,, You're lucky I like you. Okay, let's try. But it's not a goal! Let's go for supplies as usual. When I make sure the people don't want to shoot us and know what to do, we'll go find her. "  
Carl nodded happily. Nor did he expect it to be so easy! Now he had to figure out what they were going to do when his sister was here.  
  
  
"You're going to go get her, aren't you?" His dad asked wearily.   
Carl sat astride a chair and nodded.  
,,Yeah..."  
"You can hurt her, Carl ... She's safe now, but if Negan gets to her ..."  
"Dad, Negan won't do anything," Carl said. "Better tell me something about her?"  
"Her name is Judith ... She's a good girl ...“  
“What happened to Shan? Did a walker kill him? "  
Dad paused strangely. Carl waited a little impatiently, wondering what was happening to his family.  
"I killed him ..."  
There was a heavy silence.  
"What?" Carl got shocked after a moment. "For God's sake, why?"  
'Cause he went crazy! He acted like a crazy, endangering everyone. He attacked me, I was just defending myself! "  
Carl had no idea whether to believe it.   
“Like the man you killed in Alexandria? I knew it, Dad, they said you killed him for his wife! "  
"That was something else," his dad said, "you wouldn't understand that."  
"Why Dad?" Carl asked angrily. "Because I'm a child? Have you noticed at all the time you've been sitting here that I've done much more than you do?"  
"Doing dirty work for Negan?"  
"I helped those people get home," Carl snapped. "We didn't get anything you see here for free!"  
,,No? Didn't you steal it? "  
Dad's words hurt more than Carl could admit. Whatever he said seemed not enough. He hated the feeling when he came inferior. As if he had to prove that it was worth it, that it belonged there.   
"Do you understand Carl that he just used you? He found you as a defenseless kid, took you to him and that's why you think you owe him something. I understand Carl, I wasn't there to help you, but now I am! "  
"And what do you think I should do, huh?"  
“Get me out of here! We'll go back to Alexandria, get help from other settlements, and finally end this Negan tyranny! "  
"Do you want to kill him?"  
,,Are you surprised? How many people did he kill! Once it is gone, the Saviors will be the past! "  
Carl inadvertently remembered Negan's wish to continue the Saviors after his death.  
"They will fight back," Carl said quietly. "It's not just Negan ..."  
"We'll deal with that," Dad said in a reassuring tone. "Just get me out of here, run, and we're done!"  
What was Carl supposed to say ?!  
"This ... Dad, this is madness ..."  
"Think about it Carl, for me ..."  
Carl would be so engaged in the conversation that he did not notice the shadow that stood on the gallery above the cells.   
  
  
Negan wasn't pleased with what he heard. But it was to be expected, unfortunately. He went to the cell by accident, and what he listened to forced him to just crouch in the corner for a few minutes and listen.  
Did Carl really plan treason?  
Negan knew that once Rick appeared on the scene, he would be a threat. And not only as the leader of Alexandria, but mainly as Carl's father. But what could he do? Executing Rick would be fucking easy. But Carl could rebel. Especially when he told him it was enough to keep Rick locked up as a lever for the people in Alexandria. And that was something he couldn't risk.  
But could he risk Carl turning against him?  



	12. Chapter 12

Finally Carl did not leave for Alexandria for supplies. Negan said he didn't want him to be there because of the threat his dad's group posed. He promised to look after his sister. But when he returned that day, he was without Judith.  
Carl couldn't help but disappoint. He knew the road to Alexandria was not about his sister, but he still hoped they would find little Judith. Negan said Dad's group had disappeared from the settlement, apparently at night, according to locals. They could have been anywhere.   
  
  
"Do you have any plans, Carl?"  
"Dad ... Why do you keep asking ..."  
"Because while I'm sitting here we can be out there fighting! The people of Alexandria and Hilltop would join, we have our people there ... "  
Dad asked every time Carl was alone with him.   
"I have no way to get you out of here," Carl replied wearily. "You are locked, I have no key. There are Saviors everywhere. Someone will notice that you are not here.“  
Dad was silent for a moment. Carl hoped this topic was over. He knew very well what would happen if they found him trying to help his dad.   
After all, it was against the rules.   
"I'll try to figure something out son...   
Carl just nodded, praying that the situation would never happen. He still couldn't imagine what he should do to help Dad.   
  
  
This question turned out to be completely unnecessary.   
It was a deep night. Carl was asleep, but suddenly he was awakened by the sound of gunfire coming from outside. He could barely wake up to realize what was happening. Suddenly someone started shaking him.  
,, Carl! Fuck the get up! "  
"What's happend?" Carl murmured, sitting down on his bed.   
Negan handed Carl his gun and took his own.  
“I don't know, the sound comes from the gate. Someone's probably trying to get here. Wait here! I don't want any heroism again. I'm going to find out what's going on ... "  
"Be careful!" Carl cried quickly behind him.   
Who could it be! Carl tried to look out the window in the room, but saw only the lights of the fire at the gate, nothing more.  
He should stay there, he knew it well. But after a few minutes, the sound of fire continued. On the contrary, he sounded closer. Carl couldn't stand doing anything. He grabbed a spare magazine from the drawer and ran out of the room.

  
There was hell outside. It seemed that a group of people from outside had made a raid on the factory. Carl could only hear the scream, seeing dead bodies on the ground. But he wasn't able to tell who he was. He hid behind the first box he had found at the entrance to the building and looked around. Negan was nowhere to be seen, it was too dark.   
Then suddenly he saw a man hiding near him behind the truck. Carl recognized him. He was the one who hit Negan. Carl did not hesitate, loaded his gun and fired.  
The man fell to the floor screaming, and Carl hid behind the crates again. So it was Dad's group. Have they come to free him? It would be best to get there before they did, but the prison was on the other side of the campus. Carl took a few deep breaths, trying to calm his wildly beating heart. He trained for that. He had to make it.   
After a moment of waiting, Carl managed to move on. Along the way, he only met the Saviors. As he neared, he noticed that most of them still on their feet managed to get the attackers back behind the gate. Carl would like to join the defense at any other time, but then he realized he still couldn't see Negan anywhere. Where the hell was he?  
It was Simon who appeared beside him. Carl almost pointed his gun at him before he realized who he was.  
,, Damn kid, you're in the middle of shooting again! Negan will kill me! "  
,,Where is he?! I haven't seen him anywhere! "Carl shouted back as an explosion came near them.  
“He ran to jail! He said something about the cop. Then I didn't see him again. "  
Carl immediately rose from the ground, but Simon's hand stopped him.   
“You can't go there alone, Carl! We don't know how many there are! "  
"I can't leave him there," Carl snapped, pulling away from Simon's grip.  
"Shit ... Do you have enough ammo?"  
Carl nodded and looked around the hood of the car: "Two magazines."  
,, Okay, go. But if anything happens to you ... "  
,,Do not worry. When it's over, we'll meet here, all right? "  
Simon nodded and ran to the gate. Carl looked for the last time to see if the road was clear and went in the opposite direction to the prison.

  
Along the way, he had to kill two more men, who were trying to run at the last minute behind their people behind the gate. But when he finally quietly opened the door to the gallery above the cell, he found that his dad's place was empty. He hurried down the stairs, searching both the cell and the place, but found no one. He was almost gone, but then he noticed something.  
There were bloody smudges on the lower door leading out. They looked like fingers. It was as if someone was trying to catch the door as they dragged him out. Other smudges were also on the ground. Carla was the first to attack his dad. But if his people freed him, why would he defend himself? Unless that ...

Negan.

  
The shooting outside stopped. Some Saviors began to cleanse the bodies, which slowly began to turn into a walkers. Carl ran between them until he found Simon sitting with several other men near the gate on the ground.   
"Hell, kid, I'm fucking glad to see you alive," Simon laughed. "I'd really hate to tell Negan that they got you. Did you find him?"  
"I think he was kidnapped," Carl blurted. "Nobody was in prison, but there's blood. Dad and Negan are gone!"  
Simon swore and rose to his feet.  
"Shit ... I didn't notice anything ... But there was a madhouse ... Where could they take him ..."  
"One car was leaving here," one of the Savior said on the ground while committing his injured leg. "We thought they were just running, but maybe that was it ..."  
"They can be anywhere," Simon said.  
Carl had no idea what to do. Negan always knew what was needed. But now? And why did his dad ever kidnap him? He would understand if they killed him, though he didn't like it. But kidnapping? For what?  
"We'll put it together," Simon nodded to the people around, "and we'll figure something out. Carl, come in, tell me what you know."

  
Simon had questioned him for an hour. He asked about everything Carl could know. But the truth was that Carl knew almost nothing. His dad never said anything about taking a hostage. Carl thought it was a very sudden action.   
Simon finally said they would have to wait. Much of the Saviors was wounded, the factory gate was damaged. The Saviors had to first secure the factory, then go and save someone.  
Carl returned to the room with the thought. He could wait for the Saviors to come together. But he knew that once they had arrived, it would be a slaughterhouse. Carl tried to remember what places Dad was talking about. Alexandria came to mind first, but it didn't seem likely. There would be a great loss of life. Then he realized.  
Hilltop.  
It was another place dad talked about. Could he be there? Carl knew he had to get there. But how? He knew the way to the settlement, but it was too far to walk.  
Then he remembered the cars that remained behind the factory gate after the attack. He could take one if he was fast enough. He knew this was something Negan wouldn't agree to.  
But Negan wasn't here. Finally, the rules were not the most important thing in Carl's life.  
  
  
The settlement had its gate closed, as expected. But Carl noticed that there were not as many people on the gallery as usual. He stopped the car nearby, got out and took a rifle from his seat. Dad's group also seemed to have had losses. Carl barely managed to reach the gate when a man appeared on the gallery and pointed a machine gun at him.  
"What do you want!" he cried.  
"My dad, Rick Grimes!"  
The man looked at him for a moment before disappearing behind the wall. Carl heard a soft conversation, then a metal click and the gate slowly opened. Two more men came out, gesturing in with their weapons.  
Carl slowly walked through the gate, looking around. The man calling from the gallery walked out and looked around, as if checking that Carl was indeed alone.   
At that moment Dad came out of the nearby building. As soon as he saw him, he strolled toward him and embraced him.  
"Carl, I knew you could handle it ... You were always a smart kid."  
"Rick, he's armed," one of the men said, pointing to the weapons Carl had on him.  
“He's my son, Kevin. I guarantee him. I'm glad you came here. Did you run away? "  
"There was confusion after you left," Carl shrugged. "It wasn't hard."  
Dad nodded understandingly and pointed to one of the buildings next to the brick house: "We managed to kidnap Negan. A lot of people would put anything for his head. But I wanted you to be there. So you know you're free and you don't have to be there with him. I know you tried to help me. Come on, let's end it. "  
Carl nodded and followed Dad inside.  
  
  
Negan watched quietly as the door to his improvised prison opened and Rick appeared. He would like to tell him something, but unfortunately the gag prevented him from doing so. His head hurt from the fist blows Rick had given him recently. It was a shame he couldn't talk, he would like to tell him what he thought of his kidnapping. But before he could figure out how to show his displeasure, Carl appeared to Rick. He was not handcuffed, he was even armed.  
Though he didn't show anything, Negan was really surprised. Rick saw that kid kill one of them. Why would he let him walk with his gun in his hand? In the end, only one answer occurred to him.

Carl was no longer the Savior. 

It hurt more than Negan would ever admit. After the death of his wife, he thought he would never care about anything again. Then he found a little boy on the hospital floor and everything changed. He really tried not to tie himself to him. He knew this world would take anyone and anytime, but he couldn't resist that boy. He hoped it would be the future of what they had created together. But apparently But Carl finally had his own plans.  
"How did you manage to escape?" Carl Rick asked. "I thought you wanted help from me ..."  
“I know Carl, I know you wanted to help me out. But Daryl and the others got enough people to distract as they went to help me. That this bastard was there ... We didn't expect it, but it's an advantage. Too bad that so many people died ... "  
Negan watched with increasing anger as Carl nodded understandingly.   
"I know ... There were a lot of your people ... What do you want to do now, Dad?"  
"We'll get rid of him," Rick replied simply, pointing at Negan. "Without him, the Savior would end.  
"As I ran, the Savior cared for the security of the factory," Carl shrugged, still stubborn looking everywhere, but not at him.   
Negan wants to look into his eyes again. He wondered if he would see at least a little guilt in them for the betrayal he was forced to witness.   
“Don't worry, now everything's fine. We'll get rid of it and free the surrounding settlements. There are not many of us here, but we have another group in Alexandria, they will help. "  
"There are still a lot of Saviors," Carl warned, "how many people do you have?"  
“Fifty in total. About ten here. We left here right from the factory. The plans were a little different, but it happened so quickly ... "  
,, I see ... Wait, Dad, and where's Judith? Is she safe somewhere? "  
“Judith is all right, she's in Alexandria. Olivia is guarding her. She has everything she may need. Last time Olivia managed to hide her at the last minute before the Saviors arrived. "  
"I'm glad she's fine ... She should be somewhere safe."  
Negan was sick of the conversation. Not only was he supposed to die soon, but he was forced to listen to this family gibberish. Does it really end like this? After all he planned, what he built? He tried to improve the world. Carl was supposed to help him. He put all his hopes into this boy. And now it all burns.   
“Carl, when we're done here, I need you to tell us everything you know about the Saviors. Where they are, where they have weapons, everything. Fighting them will not be easy, and every advantage will come in handy. "  
Carl nodded obediently, "I know enough, I'll tell you."  
"Great," Rick smiled, patting Carl's shoulder.   
Then he turned to Negan and his smile disappeared.  
"I didn't want you to be there," he told Carl, "but you have to be there. After all this man must have done to you. What he did to all of us. He deserves it."  
Rick took a step back and handed Carl his colt. Carl just looked up in surprise.  
"Shall I do it?"  
"A lot of people out there think you're with them," Rick explained. "We have to get their trust back."  
Carl lowered his head. He was silent for a moment. Negan then noticed that tears began to roll down his cheeks. Shit with all this ...  
"That's not what I wanted," Carl sobbed. "I just wanted to find you ... I didn't want to betray you ... You've been away for so long. I've been alone. I didn't know what to do ... I thought that you will be proud of me ... "  
Rick nodded and stood beside Negan. Negan hoped for the first time in his life that he would soon die. He didn't want to listen to Carl's apologies. How he betrayed his beloved daddy and now regrets it. He'd better take a bullet.  
“It will end soon. Then everything will be all right. I just need help, Carl, now. Stop it. "  
Carl turned to face Negan and looked into his eyes for the first time. There was so much regret and pain. If it were a different situation, Negan would do anything to help him. But not now. Never.  
Carl nodded for the last time, and tears in his eyes aimed the Colt at Negan.  
The last thing Negan heard was a shot.


	13. Chapter 13

Carl lowered his hand down, unable to stop the sobs that painfully shook his body. The weapon in his hand suddenly seemed unbearably heavy. There were voices outside. But Carl couldn't pay attention. He walked slowly to the body that lay on the ground and touched his still hand.

He felt like a monster.

A thousand thoughts went through his mind at once. Was it really necessary? Couldn't they find any other solution? And why the hell did he have to do it ?!   
Carl last squeezed the palm he held and rose from the ground. He wiped his cheeks on his shirt and looked at Negan, who watched him with wide-eyed eyes. Without a word, he came closer. He pulled a knife from his pocket and began cutting through the ropes that held Negan on the chair.   
As he freed the man, he found himself in a tight embrace. Carl had no strength. Just crying.  
"Damn Carl, I didn't want this," Negan muttered into the boy's hair. "I didn't want this ..."  
"I know," Carl nodded shakily, wiping his wet cheeks again.  
There was a pounding noise on the door.  
,, Rick? It is done?"  
Carl pulled away from Negan and handed him the rifle on his back. He took his gun and nodded to the door.  
"I hope you have a plan," Negan whispered, checking the tray.   
"I have weapons, there was no time for the plan," Carl replied.  
"Shit, if we survive this ..."  
,, Rick ?! Damn, he's not answering ... Open! "  
The men outside began to slash through the handle. Almost like a slow-motion shot, Carl saw when the makeshift door lock broke and the door opened wide.  
Then he heard only the shooting.

  
Carl had blood everywhere. Hands, face. He would usually be disgusted. But now he was just sitting on the ground, looking into the distance, listening to the silence around him. There were a few dead bodies around, but Carl ignored them.  
The shootout was short but intense. It turned out that there were hardly eight people in the settlement who were not expecting an attack. But it was not without consequences. Negan tried to bandage a wounded hand near him. Carl had a bullet scratch on his right side.   
"I thought you betrayed me."  
Carl closed his eyes tightly.  
,,I wanted. For a moment, I imagined ... What could happen. If I did what my dad wanted.. "  
"So, why...?"  
Carl lowered his head, watching the colt lying in his hands.  
“Dad was never a leader. He didn't understand what we built here. "  
"So for the Saviors?"  
,,Because of you. Without you they are not Saviors. And I ... I don't want to command them yet. I told you I wasn't ready for that. "  
Negan sat closer and hugged Carlo tightly around his shoulders.  
,,I'm sorry. Really. Damn, I wanted him dead. But not like this. "  
Carl shook his head.  
"It doesn't matter ... I ... I don't know what to do now ..."  
Negan, with slight difficulty, rose from the ground and extended his hand to Carl.  
,,We will go home. And then, then we'll find your sister. "  
That sounded like a good plan.

  
When their car appeared at the factory, they were stopped by nearly ten Saviors with their weapons aimed.  
"It's me," Negan cried, getting out of the car. "You got nothing better to do? Shit ..."  
"Boss!" Simon exclaimed, running to their car. "Carl said you were kidnapped!"  
,, Yeah, kidnapped, and I'm back. Not thanks to you! "  
Simon looked at Carl. He carefully avoided his gaze and got out of the car.   
,,What happened?"  
,, Hilltop is out of play. The rest of the bastards are in Alexandria. I want everyone who can fight in cars. Let's go now. "  
"But boss, I ..."  
"No!" Negan exclaimed, coming closer to Simon. "Do what I say!"  
Simon nodded quietly and went to the Saviors who stood nearby.  
"Negan ... What do you want to do?"  
"We'll go there before they know what happened. Otherwise they leave and we can't find them. I don't want to lose another settlement. "  
Carl nodded. That sounded reasonable. A moment of surprise.  
"Carl ... Don't you want to stay here?" Negan asked in a milder voice. "I'll try to find your sister alone."  
,,No! I am good. I need her with me, then everything will be fine ... I don't want her to be with those strangers. "  
"Well," Negan nodded. "We know who she should be with. Olivia takes care of the warehouse in Alexandria. We'll ask."  
Carl nodded again. He was willing to get his sister back at any cost. After all, she was his only family.   


Alexandria was one big mess. As soon as the Saviors got in, several people belonging to his dad started fighting. But as soon as it was said that Rick Grimes was dead, some were fleeing. A handful of people fought. And in the end she lost.  
Carl watched it with strange satisfaction from the truck next the gate. As soon as the shooting stopped, he stepped out and, along with Negan, set off for the center of the settlement.   
  
The locals stood on the street, looking at the dead bodies scattered around Alexandria. None of them seemed to be attacking. Negan headed straight for the woman who was standing near one of the houses. Carl remembered it dimly. Smaller figure, thicker, glasses. Negan was right, she taking care of the warehouse.  
"So, you're Olivia, aren't you?"  
The woman nodded slightly, her face scared.  
,, Great, first try! So, I have one simple question for you. And I hope you answer correctly. It could depend a lot on it. Get ready - where is the baby? "  
Olivia swallowed and looked around as if waiting for help. Carl knew well that there would be no help.  
,,Child? We don't have little children ... "  
Negan shook his head and put the bat on Olivia's shoulder.  
,,Last try. I know you don't want to die. But if you keep lying, believe you will be the last to die here. And you'll watch all those people dying around one by one. "  
Olivia began to cry in terror.  
"So, once again - where is the baby?"  
"I, I ..." Olivia stammered, "I don't know what you mean ...?"  
Negan sighed and looked at Carl.  
“She's stubborn. She almost reminds me of someone. And apparently she won't be very popular here soon. "  
Carl had no patience to wait for Olivia to tell them the truth. Without waiting, he drew his gun and pointed it at Olivia's head.  
"Where's my sister?" He asked impatiently.  
Behind Carl there was a startling whistle.  
"Being you, I will tell him the truth, dear."  
Olivia shook her head.  
"I promised Rick I'd take care of her ... Not giving her ..."  
"Rick's dead," Carl growled, unlocking his weapon. "I want to know where Judith is."  
Olivia gestured to a nearby house with a shaking hand. Carl did not wait for anything and ran in.  
  
The house looked in perfect condition, as if nothing had ever happened. There was everything - a furnished living room, a kitchen, even a bowl of fruit on a countertop. Carl did not understand how it was possible to live like this and at the same time have the end of the world behind the gate of the settlement. Room by room he checked the ground floor, but found nothing but a few toys.  
"Is she here?" Negan asked from the doorway and walked in.  
"I don't know, I can't see her," Carl replied, heading up the stairs.  
First bedroom, bathroom, another bedroom. Still nothing. Carl finally tried the last door at the end of the corridor.   
And there he found her.  
Little Judith stood in her crib, clinging to the edge, looking curiously at the door. She was beautiful. Carl couldn't help but smile.   
"Well, what the hell do we have here," said Carl.   
Negan walked into the room without waiting and took Judith carefully into his arms. Carl could only watch the delicate smile on his face that Carl had rarely seen.   
“So you're the princess we're looking for. All of her brother, right? "He added teasingly to Carl.  
Carl came closer. He was so glad she was fine. After all the murders he saw today, what he did...  
"So," Negan began and handed Carl Judith into his arms, "I hope you know what to do with her. I'm not really used to such little kids ..."  
"It looked different," Carl said with a laugh as he watched Judith start pulling his long hair lightly.   
She did not seem to be afraid of them, rather the opposite. She was really brave, Carl had to admit it.  
“A shudder of emotion, it won't happen again. But seriously, do you have a plan? "  
"I think something just occurred to me," Carl nodded, laughing.

  
  
"That's not what I meant," Negan muttered in exasperation, pouring himself a generous dose of whiskey at the lounge bar.  
Carl, who was standing beside him drinking lemonade, shrugged. They both watched Judith, who enjoyed the attention of all Negan's wives.   
Ever since Judith came to the Saviors, she had been a magnet for all women, and especially for Negan's wives. Every moment someone wanted to bury her, play with her. Carl sometimes found that the problem was not to take care of her, but to have a moment with her alone. She was just torn. But seeing her laughing delightfully while the women around her were playing with her, he could understand.  
"You told me to solve this. You didn't say how. "  
"You know Carl, I tell you often, but you're really something else."  
,,And what?"  
"Something special," Negan chuckled, sipping his glass. "I think we have an interesting future."  
Carl looked at Judith with a smile. The future here, with his sister, Saviors, and of course Negan. That sounded like something Carl could look forward to.


End file.
